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REMINISCENCES 


NATHAN    T.   FRAME 


ESTHER   G.   FRAME 


A.  D.    1907 
Copyrighted  by  the  Authors 


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ivi  THESE  REMINISCENCES 


Are  affectionately  dedicated 
to  Our  Dear  Daughters, 

ITASCA  AND   CORRINNE 

And 

To  Our  Grandchildren, 

^  STANLEY  AND  ESTHER 

o 

'  "  WITH  LOVE 


CLEVELAND 
THE  ARTHUR  H.  CLARK  COMPANY 

504:730 


INDEX. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE. 

Pioneers — Pioneer  Ministers   24 

Salem,  Iowa — Ancestors  Esther  Frame 25 

Esther's  Conversion 26 

Esther  Joins  M.  E.  Church 27 

Ministry — Married 29 

CHAPTER  H. 

PAGE. 

The  Hand  of  the  Lord — The  Quakers — Esther  Goes  to  In- 
diana for  Her  Health 35 

At  Sea— An  Oasis 37 

Esther  Talks  With  M.  E.  Minister 38 

Friends  Considering  Esther's  Application  for  Membership. .  40 
Another  Committee  Appointed — Esther  Consecrates  Herself 

— Home  Associations — Home  Sold   43 

On  Train  for  Richmond,  Indiana 46 

CHAPTER  III. 

PAGE. 

Esther  at  Yearly  Meeting — Seeking  Employment — Friends 

and  their  Meetings 50 

Our  Work  Commenced — Outcroppings  56 

Ark  Atkinson — Closing  the  Door 60 

Summer  of  1868 — Visit  to  Anderson,  Indiana — Saloon  and 

Street  Meetings    62 

The  Great  Physician  63 

Great  Revival  at  Walnut  Ridge — Some  of  the  Workers ....  64 

CHAPTER  IV. 

PAGE. 

Trials — Second  Visit  to  Anderson — Street  Meeting  at  An- 
derson— Winter — Chester — Death  of  Minnie  Hiatt — Old 

Friends    67 

Chester  Revival — Personal  Friends 69 

Anna  and  John  Haisley — Great  Revival  at  Richmond — Min- 
isters and  the  Friends  Church 80 

We  Are  Recorded  Ministers — Muncie,  Indiana — First  Visit 

to  Ohio — Londonderry,  Ohio 85 

A  New  Church — Quakers  and  Women 90 

A  Sad  Ending 95 

Martinsville,  Ohio — Oak  Grove,  Ohio — Last  Sabbath 100 


II  Index. 

CHAPTER  V. 

PAGE. 

Our  Home,  New  Vienna,  Ohio — Meetings  at  Preston's  Hall 

— Doan  and  Mills — Wilmington  College 103 

Newspaper  Correspondents 105 

New  Burlington,  O. — The  Hawkins  Family 108 

Friends  Meeting  Established  109 

We  Return  to  Richmond,  Indiana — Visit  to  Columbus,  Ohio 

— Ohio  Penitentiary   114 

Visit  to  Iowa — Newport,  Indiana — Pastors  at  New  Burling- 
ton, Ohio  118 

A  New  Coat — Pastors  at  Harveysburg 127 

CHAPTER  VI. 

PAGE. 

Winchester,  Indiana — Farmington,  N.  Y. — Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  130 

Plymouth  Church — Ouaker  Meetings  136 

Glens  Falls,  N.  Y.— Severely  Tested 138 

Spring  Valley,  Ohio — Centerville,  Ohio — Bell  Brook,  Ohio — 

Marvelous  Meeting 143 

The  Drunkard  Saved — Trophies  of  Grace 144 

Joseph  Baines'  Letter — The  Wayside 140 

Answered  Prayer — Howard  Lake,  Minn 148 

Healing  From  Sickness — Meetings  Xenia,  Ohio — Meetings 

at  London,  Ohio 154 

Mrs.    Sparks   Saved — When  the  Quakers   Came  to   London 

— Camp  Meeting  at  Dayton,  Ohio — The  Lord  Leadeth. .   167 

CHAPTER  VII. 

PAGE. 

From  Ohio  to  North  Carolina — Historic  Meeting-house — 
Visit  to  Libby  Prison — At  Richmond,  Va. — Esther 
Stricken  With  Paralysis— Face  to  Face  with  Death.  172,  176 

Newspaper     Correspondence — Esther     Frame — A  Beautiful 

Poem  to  Her  Memory — Washington  C.  H 180 

Jamestown,  Ohio — The  Lord  No  Respecter  of  Persons — Ex- 
citement in  Meetings  189 

North  High  Street,  Columbus,  Ohio — Churches  Want  Us  as 

Pastors — Fairfield,  Ohio  194 

April  3,  1876— Letter  From  Maxwell  P.  Gaddes 195 

Cedarville,  Ohio — Two  Meeting-houses  Occupied — Remark- 
able Conversion   198 

Maiiy  Meetings — Power  of  the  Spirit — Sabina,  Ohio — Mid- 
dletown  and  Cincinnati — The  Woman  in  Black — Scene 
.  at  a  Railway  Station 199 


Index.  m 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

PAGE. 

Chillicothe,  Ohio — Good  Resolutions  Only — Midnight  Sere- 
nade— God's  Time   205 

Fashionable  Woman  Saved — Judge  Thompson  Converted.  . .   209 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  Evangelists 210 

Esther  Stricken  With  Paralysis 212 

Hillsboro,  Ohio — Unseen  Dangers   214 

CHAPTER  IX. 

PAGFJ. 

Muncie,  Indiana — Meetings  Over  Saloon — Churches  Anxious 

for  Members — Evangelists — God  Culled  Evangelists ....   209 

The  Young  Infidel — The  Bible  Message 212 

Pastors  at  Muncie — Camp  Meetings 218 

God  Rules  the  Storm — Alany  Meetings 223 

Meetings   Lancaster,  Ohio — Dr.   Nessie  Converted — Trans- 
figured       230 

The  Golden  Pillar — Jennie  Smith 234 

Tipton,  Indiana — The  Spirit  and  the  Word 236 

Tabernacle  Meetings — Barn  Meetings 239 

On  the  Wing — Cesars  Creek  Meetings 240 

Greetings  and  Farewells 242 

Among  Home  Friends — Van  Wert — A   Strange  Thing — A 

True  Friend — Mechanicsburg,  Ohio 245 

CHAPTER  X. 

PAGE. 

Minister  Abandons  Tobacco — The  Woman  Preacher — Cesars 

Creek    255 

New   Vienna,    Ohio — Lillie   Niger — Walter    Malone — Press 

Notice 260 

Sabina,  Ohio,  Our  Home  Town — Springboro,  Ohio — Answer 

to  Prayer  269 

Londonderry,  Ohio — Shout  of  Children — Jamestown,  Ohio — 
Effect  of  Meetings  on  Community — Letter  to  Daniel  Hill 
— Our  Home,.  Jamestown,  Ohio 270 

CHAPTER  XL 

PAGE. 

Portland,  Indiana — The  Word  of  the  Lord — Paralytic  Healed 

— Cleveland,  Ohio  275 

Minute  of  Endorsement 279 

James   Farmer — Garfield's  Home,   Mentor,   Ohio — We  Are 

Pastors  at  Cleveland,  Ohio 281 


II  Index. 

CHAPTER  V. 

PAGE. 

Our  Home,  New  Vienna,  Ohio — Meetings  at  Preston's  Hall 

— Doan  and  Mills — Wilmington  College 103 

Newspaper  Correspondents 105 

New  Burlington,  O. — The  Hawkins  Family 108 

Friends  Meeting  Established  109 

We  Return  to  Richmond,  Indiana — Visit  to  Columbus,  Ohio 

— Ohio  Penitentiary   114 

Visit  to  Iowa — Newport,  Indiana — Pastors  at  New  Burling- 
ton, Ohio  118 

A  New  Coat — Pastors  at  Harveysburg 127 

CHAPTER  VI. 

PAGE. 

Winchester,  Indiana — Farmington,  N.  Y. — Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  130 

Plymouth  Church — Quaker  Meetings  136 

Glens  Falls,  N.  Y.— Severely  Tested 138 

Spring  Valley,  Ohio — Centerville,  Ohio — Bell  Brook,  Ohio — 

Marvelous  Meeting 143 

The  Drunkard  Saved — Trophies  of  Grace 144 

Joseph  Baines'  Letter — The  Wayside 140 

Answered  Prayer — Howard  Lake,  Minn 148 

Healing  From  Sickness — Meetings  Xenia,  Ohio — Meetings 

at  London,  Ohio 154 

Mrs.    Sparks   Saved — When  the  Quakers   Came  to   London 

— Camp  Meeting  at  Dayton,  Ohio — The  Lord  Leadeth. .   167 

CHAPTER  VII. 

PAGE. 

From  Ohio  to  North  Carolina — Historic  Meeting-house — 
Visit  to  Libby  Prison — At  Richmond,  Va. — Esther 
Stricken  With  Paralysis— Face  to  Face  with  Death.  172,  176 

Newspaper     Correspondence — Esther     Frame — A  Beautiful 

Poem  to  Her  Memory — Washington  C.  H 180 

Jamestown,  Ohio — The  Lord  No  Respecter  of  Persons — Ex- 
citement in  Meetings  189 

North  High  Street,  Columbus,  Ohio — Churches  Want  Us  as 

Pastors — Fairfield,  Ohio  194 

April  3,  1876— Letter  From  Maxwell  P.  Gaddes 195 

Cedarville,  Ohio — Two  Meeting-houses  Occupied — Remark- 
able Conversion   198 

Maiiy  Meetings — Power  of  the  Spirit — Sabina,  Ohio — Mid- 
dletown  and  Cincinnati — The  Woman  in  Black — Scene 
at  a  Railway  Station 199 


Index.  m 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

PAGE. 

Chillicothe,  Ohio — Good  Resolutions  Only — Midnight  Sere- 
nade— God's  Time   205 

Fashionable  Woman  Saved — Judge  Thompson  Converted.  . .   209 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  Evangelists 210 

Esther  Stricken  With  Paralysis 212 

Hillsboro,  Ohio — Unseen  Dangers   214 

CHAPTER  IX. 

PAGE. 

Muncie,  Indiana — Meetings  Over  Saloon — Churches  Anxious 

for  Members — Evangelists — God  Culled  Evangelists.  , .  .   209 

The  Young  Infidel — The  Bible  Message 212 

Pastors  at  Muncie — Camp  Meetings 218 

God  Rules  the  Storm — Many  Meetings 223 

Meetings  Lancaster,  Ohio — Dr.   Nessie  Converted — Trans- 
figured       230 

The  Golden  Pillar — ^Jennie  Smith 234 

Tipton,  Indiana — The  Spirit  and  the  Word 236 

Tabernacle  Meetings — Barn  Meetings 239 

On  the  Wing — Cesars  Creek  Meetings 240 

Greetings  and  Farewells 242 

Among  Home  Friends — Van  Wert — A   Strange  Thing — A 

True  Friend — Mechanicsburg,  Ohio 245 

CHAPTER  X. 

PAGE. 

Minister  Abandons  Tobacco — The  Woman  Preacher — Cesars 

Creek    255 

New   Vienna,    Ohio — Lillie   Niger — Walter    Malone — Press 

Notice  260 

Sabina,  Ohio,  Our  Home  Town — Springboro,  Ohio — Answer 

to  Prayer  269 

Londonderry,  Ohio — Shout  of  Children — Jamestown,  Ohio — 
Effect  of  Meetings  on  Community — Letter  to  Daniel  Hill 
— Our  Home^  Jamestown,  Ohio 270 

CHAPTER  XL 

PAGE. 
Portland,  Indiana — The  Word  of  the  Lord — Paralytic  Healed 

— Cleveland,  Ohio  275 

Minute  of  Endorsement 279 

James   Farmer — Garfield's   Home,   Mentor,   Ohio — We  Are 

Pastors  at  Cleveland,  Ohio 281 


VI  Index. 

PAGE. 

Jeffersonville,  Ind. — Ashwood,  Tenn. — At  Home  October  and 

September 525 

Bloomingdale,  Ind, — Albia,  Iowa 530 

CHAPTER  XX. 

PAGE. 

Penn  College,  1898 — Central  M.  E.  Church,  Oskaloosa,  la. — 
Great  Revival — Wichita,  Kansas,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  Janu- 
ary, 1899 .' 542,  544 

The  Quakers  in  Cleveland — Wilmington,  Ohio — Chesterton, 
Ind. — Grant,  Tenn. — Portland,  Maine — Lynn,  Ind., 
January    12,     1900 — Carmel,    Ind. — Paoli,     Ind. — Tent 

Meeting — Byhalia,  Ohio — Spencerville,  Ohio 

549,  558,  565,  567 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

PAGE. 

Turning  Aside — Messilla  Park,  N.  M. — Sand  Storm — Sum- 
mer of  1901 — California — Enroute  for  Oregon 571 

Denver,  Col.,  to  Salt  Lake  City 573 

Salt    Lake   City,    Utah — The    Mormons — Newberg,    Ore. — 

Portland,  Ore 579 

Berkeley,  Cal. — San  Jose,  Cal. — Pasadena,  Cal 590 

A  Day's  Outing — Nathan  and  Esther  Frame 591 

San    Diego,    Cal. — Las    Cruces,    N.    M. — Pasadena,    Cal. — 

El  Paso,  Texas— Messilla  Park 595 

St.  Petersburg,  Fla.— Manitee,  Fla 598 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

PAGE. 

Key  West,  Florida,  1903— Rock  Road  Church— On  Ocean 

Steamer — Meetings  at  Friendsville,  Tenn 616 

Richmond,  Ind.— Ottawa,  I.  T.— Miami,  I.  T.— At  Friends 

University    623 

Wichita,  Kas.— Boulder,  Col 626 

Messilla  Park,  N.  M.— Cherokee,  Okla.— Lowell,  Kas 632 

Spring  River  Quarterly  Meeting 634 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

PAGE. 

Haviland,   Kas. — New   Mexico — Union   Meetings,   Shawnee 

Mission    644 

Yearly  Meeting — Mt.  Ayre,  Kas 653 

Laharp,  Kas. — Conclusion,  1906 660 

Sometime — A  Poem  by  N.  T.  Frame 661 

Esther  G.  Frames  Notes 


INDEX  TO  PHOTOGRAPHS. 

Page. 

Nathan  and  Esther  Frame 6,    7 

Elwood  Ozbun 40 

Indiana  Yearly  Meetinghouse 46 

Nathan  and  Esther  Frame 50 

Jane  Jones 62 

Fifth  Street  Friends  Meetinghouse,  Richmond.  .  76 

Robert  W.  Douglas 100 

Nathan  and  Esther  Frame 108 

Massa  Hawkins  110 

Frances  W.  Thomas 132 

Trophies  of  Grace 146 

North  Carolina  Yearly  Meetinghouse 168 

Nathan  and  Esther  Frame 198 

Caesar  Creek  Meetinghouse 242 

Mary  A.  Malone 258 

Home  of  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame 270 

W.  J.  and  Emma  B.  Malone 276,  277 

Wniiam  and  Docia  Wooton 298,  299 

General  Joseph  Wheeler  .  . . , 300 

Corinne  F.  McCarthy  and  Stanley 423,  424 

George  and  Leonore 472 

Adobe  Church,  Jaurez,  Mexico 489 

Nathan  and  Esther  Frame 518,  519 

A.  Rosenberger  and  Penn  College 531,  532 

Itasca  F.  Wooton,  and  Esther 596,  597 

First  Friends  Church,  Cleveland 545 

Wilmington  College  547 

Luther  Gordon  587 

Edmund  Stanley  and  University 622,  621 

Shawnee  Mission,  Oldahoma 600 

Robert  Kelley  and  Earlham  College 660 


Nathan  T.  Frame. 


Esther  G.  Frame. 


Preface. 


PREFACE, 

In  1868  the  gospel  career  of  Nathan  T.  and 
Esther  G.  Frame  began  among  the  Friends  and  has 
continued  to  grow  in  fruitfulness  until  their  labors 
have  now  been  crowned  with  the  richness  of  a  golden 
harvest.  Their  star  of  usefulness  seemed  ever  to  be 
in  the  ascendant  and,  like  the  great  apostle,  thej^ 
were  "in  labor  oft,"  for  before  the  conclusion  of  one 
series  of  services  the  Macedonian  cry,  "Come  over 
and  help  us, ' '  was  heard  from  many  places. 

Their  labors  in  the  field  of  evangelism  have  met 
with  remarkable  success,  not  only  among  Friends, 
but  in  many  other  churches  also.  Being  among  the 
first  heralds  of  a  religious  awakening  that  has,  in 
extent  and  consequences,  become  world  wide,  their 
eyes  have  beheld  marvelous  miracles  of  saving  grace 
and  transforming  power.  The  iron  fetters  of  a  dead 
formalism  that  had  long  held  captive  the  Church  of 
Christ  were  broken  in  sunder  by  the  mighty  hand  of 
God  and  the  vitalized  gospel  of  life  and  power  be- 
came again  dominant  in  the  church  universal. 

Their  travels  "in  the  love  of  the  gospel"  have 
been  confined  to  no  section  of  the  country  but  the 
East,  West,  North,  and  South  have  all  alike  rejoiced 
imder  the  glad  tidings  of  their  ministry.  The  rich 
graces  of  eloquent  utterance  and  high  intellectual  en- 
dowments bestowed  by  the  Heavenly  Father  in 
bounteous  measure  were  fully  consecrated  by  them  to 
the  Master's  service.  Thousands  have  yielded  to  the 
"heavenly  vision"  under  the  persuasive  eloquence  of 
their  messages  and  tens  of  thousands  have  rejoiced 
under  their  proclamation  of  a  full  gospel. 


10  Preface. 

Too  intent  about  their  "Father's  business"  to 
listen  to  the  voice  of  Mammon,  they  are  nevertheless 
rich  in  the  eternal  treasures  laid  up  beyond  the  reach 
of  the  * '  rust ' '  and  the  ' '  thieves ' '  of  time.  Every  step 
now  taken  by  them  toward  the  golden  simset  of  life  is 
an  upward  step  towards  Pisgah's  height  whence  they 
can  view  the  charming  prospect,  the  **land  of  pro- 
mise." God  alone  can  number  the  multitude  of  the 
redeemed  that  shall  rise  up  in  the  last  day  to  call 
them  '* blessed." 

Their  ''Reminiscences"  aboiuid  in  examples 
taken  from  the  ''Journals"  and  copied  from  the 
public  "Press"  where  their  great  meetings  were 
held.  We  call  especial  attention  to  that  connected 
with  their  gospel  work  at  Penn  College  and  in  the 
city  of  Oskaloosa,  Iowa,  in  1898.  Night  after  night 
the  Penn  College  Chapel  was  filled  to  overflowing 
and  saving  grace  abounded  in  a  wonderful  manner. 
The  flood  tide  of  salvation  swept  everything  before 
it.  Immediately  afterwards  they  held  a  series  of 
remarkable  meetings  in  the  »M.  E.  Church  in  Oska- 
loosa. The  house,  with  a  seating  capacity  of  fifteen 
hundred,  was  often  crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity 
and  hundreds  found  their  way  to  the  altar  for  for- 
giveness of  sins. 

This  published  account  of  some  of  the  labors  of 
these  widely  known  and  eminent  evangelists,  is  a 
source  of  great  satisfaction  to  their  many  friends 
and  will  be,  we  believe,  a  great  blessing  to  the  Church 
of  Christ.  It  is  the  recorded  narrative  of  two  worthy 
and  gifted  workers  for  the  evangelization  of  the 
world. 

A.  ROSENBERGER, 

Pres,  of  Penn  College, 
Oskaloosa,  Iowa. 
A.  B.  1906. 


Introduction,  13 


INTRODUCTION. 

As  there  are  mysterious  moments  in  the  lives  of 
individuals,  so  there  have  been  in  the  growth  and 
activities  of  the  Church.  Spiritual  awakenings  have 
come  at  varied  intervals;  and  each  has  followed  a 
period  of  degeneracy,  in  which  false  teaching  had  led 
astray  some  of  the  very  elect,  and  the  cause  of  Truth 
had  suffered  greatly.  The  revival  that  followed  in 
each  case  was  but  a  sequel  to  the  irrational  teaching 
and  degenerate  practices  which  were  the  outgrowth 
of  skepticism  and  doubt  that  overshadowed  the 
world  in  these  times  of  bondage  and  servitude.  How 
true  to  human  experience  the  dearth  of  living,  prac- 
tical Christianity  which  was  so  manifest  in  the  days 
of  rest  and  quiet  and  security  that  followed  the 
period  of  restlessness  and  national  insecurity  and 
persecution  of  dissenters  in  the  days  of  Fox  and  his 
contemporaries.  The  gospel  of  the  Friends  to  the 
world  wsiS— Complete  deliverance— freedom  from 
the  bondage  of  sin— the  priesthood  of  'believers.  The 
English  church  of  Fox's  time  had  retained  so  much 
of  mediaeval  tradition,  and  had  accepted  so  many 
compromises  that  a  revolution  became  a  necessitj^  for 
the  restoration  of  the  Truth.  The  overthrow  of 
Catholicism  had  freed  England  from  the  dominion  of 
the  Pope,  but  there  was  that  in  the  Liturgy  that 
bound  men's  consciences  and  hung  heavy  weights 
upon  them.  Many  bodies  of  dissenters  sought  relief 
from  these  burdens.  Sects,  and  orders,  and  societies 
were  formed,  all  seeking  for  light,  but  none  seemed 
to  enjoy  the  freedom  claimed  by  the  early  Friends. 
Almost  all  the  various  sects  of  dissenters  soon  passed 


14  Introduction, 

Tinder  some  ecclesiastical  authority,  or  else  became 
extinct  for  want  of  organization  and  living  principle 
or  life-force. 

Standing  as  Quakerism  did  for  freedom  of  con- 
science, freedom  of  action  in  the  worship  of  Al- 
mighty God,  one  need  not  seek  long  for  a  cause  for 
Friends  becoming  reformers— so  long  as  reforms 
touched  human  interests  and  tended  to  lift  man  from 
degradation  toward  the  divine  image  that  was  his  in 
Creation.  That  Friends  were  able  to  avoid  the 
threatening  breakers  that  beset  them  on  every  hand 
in  their  formative  period,  is  marvelous  and  it  can  be 
accounted  for  only  by  the  acknowledgement  of  the 
fact,  that  they  had  discovered  a  living  Truth  to  which 
they  adhered  with  a  firmness  and  boldness  that  stag- 
gered all  other  dissenters  and  even  the  adherents  to 
the  established  Church  themselves.  And  that  they 
had  for  a  leader,  a  man  that  was  in  every  sense  a  re- 
ligious genius,— Si  man  that  took  rank  with  the  great- 
est religious  teachers  of  modern  times.  It  has  been 
said  that  he  was  the  first  real  prophet  of  the  English 
Reformation;  and  to  him  the  world  owes  much  for 
the  reformation  that  grew  out  of  the  unrest,  the  po- 
litical, moral  and  social  upheaval  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  and  for  the  religious  liberty  that  character- 
izes our  day.  That  the  branch  of  the  church  that 
accepted  his  interpretation  of  divine  Truth  should  so 
soon  lapse  into  a  state  of  rest  and  inactivity  seems  to 
us  passing  strange ;  and  it  is  difficult  to  ascribe  a  sat- 
isfactory reason  for  the  change.  In  the  early  history 
of  the  Friends  they  were  an  aggressive,  evangelizing 
force  in  the  world  that  promulgated  their  doctrines 
among  the  English  speaking  people  of  two  conti- 
nents, and  they  were  known  and  respected  by  almost 
all  the  nations  of  Europe.  The  awakening  in  the  So- 
ciety of  Friends  that  began  about  the  middle  of  the 
past  century,  seems  to  have  been  impelled  by  the 


Introduction,  15 

spirit  of  the  early  Church;  and  in  fact  it  was  fostered 
and  encouraged  with  a  hope  that  the  Friends  should 
become  again  the  aggressive  people  they  had  been  in 
former  times  in  the  spread  of  the  Truth,  the  promul- 
gation of  the  Gospel  of  Christ  in  its  real  spiritual 
significance.  The  deep  convictions  that  rested  upon 
the  leaders  of  this  important  movement,  the  sacri- 
fices they  were  required  to  make,  the  obstacles  to 
overcome,  the  criticisms  and  censure  that  fell  to  their 
lot  because  of  a  failure  to  understand  their  motive 
and  purpose,  and  because  of  the  conduct  and  prac- 
tices of  designing  men,  persons  possessing  zeal  with- 
out knowledge— these  can  better  be  narrated  by  the 
participants  in  the  great  conflict,  of  whom  there  are 
a  few  yet  alive  and  able  to  tell  the  story. 

The  history  of  the  Friends  will  not  be  complete 
without  a  record  of  this  period  of  reformation  within 
its  own  organization ;  and  doubly  important  is  it  that 
the  story  of  the  transition  be  written  by  those  who 
were  eye-witnesses  to  the  scenes,  and  who  had  a  part 
in  the  incidents  and  experiences  of  the  time.  Space 
will  not  admit  of  a  record  of  the  names  of  all  who 
rendered  effective  service  for  the  preservation  of  the 
church  in  this  time  of  re-formation  that  seemed  often 
to  threaten  its  very  existence.  To  us  it  is  a  source  of 
sincere  gratification  that  our  dear  friends,  Nathan  T. 
and  Esther  G.  Frame,  have  been  drawn  to  record 
some  of  their  experiences,  and  make  mention  of  some 
of  their  labors  among  Friends  and  others  as  they 
have  followed  the  Spirit  in  their  remarkably  fruitful 
service  for  the  Master.  Drawn  to  Friends  from  a 
convincement  of  the  truth  of  their  doctrines,  they  at 
once  entered  the  ministry  \vith  a  fii*m  conviction  of 
the  truths  they  promulgated;  and  with  an  abiding 
trust  in  God  for  leading,  for  support  in  the  hours  of 
necessity  and  trial,  they  manifested  a  willingness  to 
give  their  lives  and  the  exercise  of  their  gifts  to  the 


16  Introduction. 

Church  of  their  choice.  Such  was  their  devotion  to 
the  cause  of  their  divine  Lord  and  Master. 

The  results  of  their  protracted  services,  and  the 
blessing  they  have  been  to  unknown  thousands  who 
have  sat  under  their  ministration  of  the  Gospel,  can 
only  be  told  by  those  who  have  been  drawn  into  the 
light  through  the  instrumentality  of  their  teaching. 
Sound  in  the  Faith,  logical  in  argument,  persuasive 
in  manner,  and  eloquent  in  presentation  of  the  great 
plan  of  salvation,  they  have  moved  concourses  of  peo- 
ple as  few  are  able ;  and  multitudes  have  found  it  im- 
possible to  resist  the  call  to  accept  the  truth,  to  seek 
reconciliation  and  rest  in  the  name  of  a  living 
Saviour. 

To  these  dear  friends  who  came  to  us  in  the 
liour  of  our  greatest  need,  and  at  once  took  their 
place  along-side  the  leaders  in  what  seemed  then  an 
unpromising  and  impopular  movement,  and  who 
have,  without  flinching  and  without  murmur,  home 
their  full  share  of  the  burden,  the  Friends  owe  a  debt 
of  gratitude.  How  zealously  they  have  worked,  how 
earnestly  they  have  pressed  the  Truth  upon  their 
hearers,  how  eloquently  yet  reverently  they  have  pro- 
claimed the  message  of  love  to  a  lost  world,  how  un- 
tiringly they  labored  with  those  who  were  seeking  to 
know  the  way  of  Life,  will  be  revealed  when  our  Lord 
shall  come  to  make  up  his  jewels. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  this  volume  of  interesting 
reminiscences  may  lead  us  to  a  more  practical  appre- 
ciation of  the  lives  and  services  of  these,  and  others 
of  our  dear  Friends,  who  have  stood  as  the  exponents 
of  truth  in  this  period  of  growth  and  expansion ;  and 
may  we  not  hope  that  it  will  inspire  others,  of  those 
who  have  held  important  places  in  the  like  service,  to 
give  to  Friends  of  this  and  coming  generations  the 
things  that  are  now  fresh  in  their  minds;  things 
which  will  be  full  of  interest  and  of  great  value  in  the 


Introduction.  17 

annals  of  a  Church  that  has  been  such  a  wonderful 
blessing  to  the  world. 

Edmund  Stanley. 

President  Friends'  University,  Wichita,  Kan- 
sas, A.  D.  1906. 


Reminiscences  of  Nathan  T.  and  Esther  G.    19 
Frame, 


Ancestry  of  Nathan  T.  Frame, 

CHAPTER  I. 

It  will  be  sufficient  for  this  narrative  to  state 
that  my  father 'sand  mother's  people  were  Scotch  and 
English  and  came  to  America  in  the  early  part  of  the 
seventeenth  century.  My  father's  family  consisted 
of  six  persons,  the  parents,  three  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter. The  eldest  son  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary 
War,  was  taken  prisoner  during  a  naval  engagement 
between  the  American  and  English  war  sloops.  Wasp 
and  Frolic,  the  American  capturing  the  English  ves- 
sel, but  before  getting  her  prize  secured  was  recap- 
tured by  an  English  man-of-war  and  my  uncle  was 
taken  to  England,  where  he  remained  a  prisoner  un- 
til peace  was  declared  between  the  two  countries. 

The  other  brother  of  father's  was  for  many 
years  a  sea  captain,  and  died  in  the  year  1850  at  New 
Orleans  while  engaged  in  piloting  ships  from  **The 
Balize"  to  the  City  of  New  Orleans.  My  father's 
first  name  was  Miffin,  named  in  honor  of  General 
Miffin. 

My  mother's  maiden  name  was  Gregg.  Her  peo- 
ple came  from  England  about  the  same  time  my 
father's  people  came  over  the  ocean.  They  were,  on 
both  sides  of  the  house,  good  English  and  Scotch 
stock.  My  father  and  mother  and  their  parents  were 
devout  members  of  the  Methodist ,  Church,  when,  to 
be  a  member  in  good  standing,  required  holy  living 
and  an  upright  walk  and  goodly  conversation . 


20  Ancestry  of  Nathan  T.  Frame. 

My  father's  ancestors,  many  of  them,  were 
Friends.  Grandfather  and  Grandmother  Gregg, 
though  Methodists,  always  used  the  plain  language. 
My  father  was  a  minister  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  much  loved ;  a  part  of  the  time  an  itiner- 
ant, or  traveling  preacher,  in  that  church. 

Early  Life  of  Nathan  T.  Frame. 

My  parents  emigrated  from  Pennsylvania  to 
Morgan  county,  Ohio,  when  I  was  a  little  child.  We 
took  nothing  with  us  but  our  beds  and  bed  clothes, 
wearing  apparel,  and  a  few  dishes.  Thus  equipped, 
we  started  to  seek  a  home  in  the  far  famed,  and  then 
little  kno-^Ti,  fertile  ** Prairies  of  the  West,"  arriving 
at  our  destination  in  five  or  six  weeks  after  starting. 

A  world  of  new  beauty,  and  of  intense  interest, 
unfolded  to  my  young,  and  impressable  mind  with 
each  succeeding  day's  journey,  and  I  thought  if 
heaven,  the  beautiful  home  I  had  so  often  heard  elo- 
quently described  by  my  father,  had  as  much  of  in- 
terest, and  beauty  in  it,  as  a  journey  in  a  two-horse 
wagon  from  the  State  of  Ohio  to  Iowa,  it  was  strange 
that  every  one  did  not  immediately  start  for  the 
happy  country. 

The  sights  that  I  then  saw  while  on  that  journey, 
were  to  me,  as  awe  inspiring,  as  the  heavenly  ^T.sions 
were  to  John  on  the  isle  of  Patmos. 

The  world  began  to  assume  wonderful  propor- 
tions, and  after  we  had  gone  to  rest  one  night,  I  lay 
awake  and  *^ wondered/'  if  any  person  ever  went  to 
the  end  of  the  world.  I  thought  the  world  must  have 
an  end,  or  an  edge  some  place;  and  when  people  came 
to  the  edge  I  wondered  if  there  was  danger  of  them 
falling  off,  and  where  they  would  go  if  they  did  fall, 
and  if  Iowa,  where  we  were  going,  was  near  the 
*'edge''  of  the  world. 


Ancestry  of  Nathan  T.  Frame.  21 


From  Ohio  to  Iowa, 

In  our  travels  we  soon  came  to  the  prairies  of 
Illinois,  God's  great,  grand  fields,  and  I  stood  and 
gazed  far  away  over  them,  as  the  wind  swept  the  tall 
grass  into  billowy  waves,  reminding  one  of  the  great 
and  wide  sea.  There  was  marvelous  beauty  and 
grandeur  in  these  soft  billowy  waves  of  the  prairie, 
the  grass  mingled  with  so  many  beautiful  flowers, 
and  they  appeared  in  some  places,  almost  like  sunset 
clouds  that  had  been  blown  from  the  sky. 

On  these  vast  fields  there  was  neither  shrub,  nor 
tree,  nor  house,  or  work  of  man,  or  man  himself,  save 
the  emigrant  that  we  saw,  away  across  the  waste  of 
land,  ''covered  wagons,''  appearing  like  little  white 
clouds  hovering  on  the  circle  of  the  horizon;  and  I 
have  watched  them  until  they  grew  small,  smaller, 
and  then  disappeared  altogether  behind  a  sea  of 
waving  grass. 

We  crossed  the  great  "Father  of  Waters,"  at 
the  little  town  of  Burlington,  which,  at  that  time, 
consisted  of  one  or  two  small  business  houses,  and 
some  little  log  cabins  scattered  around  over  the  clay 
hills  overlooking  the  river.  But  every  journey  must 
have  an  end,  and  so  did  this  one.  Even  when  a  small 
boy,  the  works  of  God  as  seen  in  the  outward  world,  I 
loved  and  thought  of  God  as  the  maker  of  them  all ! 
I  believed  in  the  Saviour  and  prayed  to  Him  in  my 
childish  way.  I  spent  many  hours  of  my  boyhood  in 
the  forests,  and  along  the  streams  of  water,  and  in 
the  open  country.  I  made  playmates  of  the  trees, 
and  talked  to  them,  and  knew  all  of  them  by  name, 
and  what  place  was  most  congenial  to  their  nature ;  I 
knew  where  the  earliest  and  sweetest  wild  flowers 
grew,  watched  the  clouds  piled  round  the  horizon  and 
peopled  them  with  angels,  and  sometimes  imagined 


22  Pioneers. 

the  whispering  wind  among  the  foliage  of  the  trees 
was  the  voice  of  God;  I  gathered  the  delicate  little 
flowers  so  sweetly  perfumed,  and  artistically  painted, 
admired  the  majesty  of  hills,  and  thought  how  great 
and  good  God  must  be. 

The  first  two  years  we  spent  in  Iowa  are  very 
vividly  impressed  on  my  memory.  The  first  winter 
was  quite  mild,  and  though  our  ** Cabin''  was  very 
open,  and  gusts  of  frosty  air  came  in  through  the 
crevices,  we  kept  comfortable  from  the  heat  of  the 
fire  in  the  great  wide-mouthed  fire  place. 

Early  Pioneers. 

The  coimnon  vicissitudes  of  a  pioneer  life  was  the 
lot  of  my  father's  family.  The  settlements  which 
were  then  being  made  were  composed  of  men  and 
women  of  good  stock  from  the  best  families,  from  the 
middle  and  eastern  states,  most  of  them  thorough 
Christians  in  faith,  and  many  of  them  pious  and 
Godly  in  life;  and  while  many  were  in  limited  cir- 
cumstances financially,  they  by  no  means  belonged  to 
the  class  that  are  called  poor  in  the  cities  and  vil- 
lages of  the  United  States  of  North  America  at  this 
date.  They  were  men  and  women  who  had  left  their 
homes  and  friends  in  the  East  not  only  to  lay  a 
foundation  for  financial  success  by  becoming  owners 
of  the  soil,  but  they  determined  that  the  religious  and 
educational  should  keep  pace  with  the  other  improve- 
ments of  the  country.  So  when  the  little  conununity 
was  formed  and  they  had  erected  their  log  cabins, 
and  brought  a  few  acres  of  land  into  cultivation,  then 
followed  the  school  and  meeting  house.  From  such 
beginnings  as  these  grew  the  galaxy  of  noble  states 
that  now  rank  foremost  in  many  of  the  reforms  and 
are  strongholds  of  virtue  and  intelligence  in  the 
nation. 


Pioneer  Ministers,  23 


Pioneer  Ministers, 

The  ministers  of  the  gospel  in  the  first  settle- 
ments of  Iowa  were  of  sterling  worth,  and  devoted 
servants  of  the  Lord,  who  were  willing  to  show  their 
faith  by  their  works.  Father  was  a  farmer,  and  by 
this  means  supported  his  family,  but  much  of  his 
time  was  taken  up  for  the  cause  of  Christ.  By  his 
own  labor  he  built  most  of  the  first  meeting  house  in 
the  little  town  of  Lowell,  where  we  first  lived ;  it  was 
a  hewed  log  house,  and  did  not  require  much  mechan- 
ical skill;  and  when  the  house  was  finished,  father 
preached  the  word  of  Life  to  the  little  band  of  be- 
lievers who  assembled  there  each  Sabbath  day. 

There  was  no  frescoed  ceiling,  no  elaborately 
finished  pulpit,  encircled  with  polished  rails,  no  cush- 
ioned pews,  or  swelling  notes  of  organ  accompanied 
by  a  choir  of  trained  singers,  or  flash  of  light  from 
burnished  chandeliers.  A  little  plain  *'old  fash- 
ioned'* stand  table,  with  the  well-worn  Bible  and 
hymn  book  lying  on  the  stand,  with  a  rude  splint 
bottomed  chair  for  the  preacher's  seat,  were  all  that 
was  needed.  From  here  the  preacher  announced  his 
text,  read  and  lined  his  hynms,  and  said  *'Let  all  the 
people  sing/'  and  when  this  singing  by  all  the  people 
had  solemnized  the  assembly,  the  minister  kneeled 
down  and  prayed  with  such  fervency  and  faith  that 
when  he  arose  from  his  knees,  his  face  was  glorified 
with  spiritual  beauty,  and  the  people  were  in  a  state 
of  mind  to  listen  to  the  telling  in  a  simple  manner 
the  beautiful  story  of  Jesus,  and  his  love. 

There  were  no  stations  in  these  days  of  pioneer 
preaching  where  a  minister  remained  preaching  to 
one  congregation,  but  often  it  took  four  weeks  to  go 
around  "The  Circuit"  and  fill  the  appointments, 
preaching  once  at  a  place,  and  many  times  I  have 


24  Pioneer  Ministers. 

seen  my  f atlier  start  from  liome,  on  horse-back,  with 
his  Bible  and  hymn  book,  and  a  change  of  linen  in 
his  ** saddle  bags,"  and  his  great  coat  rolled  up  and 
strapped  on  behind  the  saddle,  to  be  gone  for  two  or 
three  months  at  a  time,  and  mother  and  the  children 
were  left  to  manage  home  affairs  until  he  should  re- 
turn. There  were  no  railroads,  and  few  wagon  roads 
in  those  days ;  the  travel  was  along  the  ''divides"  and 
across  the  prairies,  and  through  the  streams  by  the 
old  "buffalo  fords,"  and  "Indian  trails."  There 
were  snow  storms  to  face  in  the  winter  coming  down 
over  the  wide  sweep  of  the  open  prairie,  filling  the 
hollows  with  drifts  and  hiding  the  narrow  path  from 
view,  the  air  filled  with  the  drifting,  whirling  part- 
icles that  made  any  exposed  part  of  the  person  tingle 
as  if  particles  of  fine  sand  was  hurled  against  the 
naked  body,  the  wind  rushing  along  at  the  rate  of 
sixty  miles  an  hour;  frequently  the  traveler  would 
lose  his  way  on  these  mde  prairies  in  the  midst  of 
these  snow  storms  and  freeze  to  death.  There  were 
swollen  streams  to  cross  without  bridges,  and  the 
traveler  was  compelled  to  plunge  in  and  trust  the 
good  qualities  of  his  horse  as  a  swimmer  to  carry  him 
over,  or  remain  where  he  was  for  two  or  three  days 
and  sing— 

"On  Jordan's  stormy  banks  I  stand" 
"And  cast  a  wishful  eye." 

but  the  pioneer  minister  did  not  spend  much  time  in 
waiting.  If  the  streams  could  not  be  crossed,  they 
either  returned  home  or  went  to  an  appointment  they 
could  reach.  The  "footprints  of  the  itinerant 
preacher"  are  to  be  found  at  all  the  outposts  of  our 
American  settlements. 

The  rude  log  cabins,  with  puncheon  floors  and 
stick  chimneys,  and  "clapboard"  roofs  were  the 
palace  homes  where  the  early  preachers  were  enter- 
tained; here,  often  in  the  one  room,  lived,  ate,  and 


Salem,  Iowa.  25 

slept  the  whole  family  of  eight  or  ten  persons,  and 
yet  the  "latch  string"  was  always  out  for  the  weary 
and  hungry  traveler  who  needed  a  "night's  lodging" 
or  a  meal. 

If  we  desire  to  know  what  genuine  hospitality 
^^ without  grudging^'  means,  it  was  to  be  found  in  the 
homes  of  the  "first  settlers"  of  the  new  country. 

Salem,  Henry  Co.,  loiva. 

After  a  time  father  sold  his  f ann  and  we  moved 
to  Salem  in  order  that  we  might  have  better  oppor- 
tunities for  school  and  meeting.  There  was  an 
Academy  here,  and  at  this  institution  I  spent  three 
terms  with  great  satisfaction  and  profit  to  myself; 
and  here,  for  the  first  time,  I  met  Esther  E.  Gordon, 
who  was  a  converted  young  woman  and  a  zealous 
Christian,  and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  I  was  not  a  Christian  at  this  time,  but  dur- 
ing the  winter  of  this  year  at  a  protracted  meeting 
conducted  by  Joseph  Randolp,  a  local  minister,  and 
my  father's  personal  friend,  I  resolved  that  I  would 
become  a  christian,  and  when  an  opportunity  was 
given,  went  forward  and  presented  myself  as  a  peni- 
tent. On  the  second  evening  after  I  came  forward  as 
a  seeker,  being  yet  unconverted,  I  accompanied  Miss 
Gordon  to  her  home ;  (though  the  distance  was  some 
more  than  to  go  directly  to  my  own  home,  I  did  not 
mind  it)  I  went  in  with  her,  and  without  taking  off 
my  overcoat  (it  was  winter  time)  I  kneeled  down  by 
a  lounge  and  began  to  pray. 

"And  quick  as  spark  from  smitten  steel 
The  Lord  his  presence  did  reveal" 

and  I  arose,  praising  the  Lord,  and  soon  departed  to 
my  home  to  tell  the  good  news.  I  was  married  to 
Esther  E.  Gordon  soon  after  my  conversion  and 
joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


26  Ancestors  of  Esther  Gordon. 

"WTien  I  married  Miss  Gordon,  I  did  not  antici- 
pate she  would  ever  be  a  minister. 

Ancestors  of  Esther  Gordon. 

My  father's  people  came  from  Scotland  to 
America  sometime  about  the  year  1720.  They  were 
descendants  of  the  noted  ''Gordon  Clan,"  of  Scotch 
Nobles,  who,  for  many  years,  intermarried  only  with 
the  Douglas  Clan. 

Grandfather  Gordon  was  educated  for  a  Scotch 
Presbyterian  minister,  but  left  that  denomination 
and  joined  the  Baptists,  because  there  were  no  Scotch 
Presbyterians  where  he  was  teaching  school,  for  he 
was  one  of  the  first  educators,  and  taught  a  niunber 
of  years  in  Warren  and  Montgomery  Counties  in  the 
State  of  Ohio,  and  also  in  the  State  of  Indiana. 

My  Grandfather  Gordon  preached  until  he  was 
ninety  years  of  age ;  *  *  *  *  Grandmother 
Gordon  was  a  McGary  and  came  from  the  Northern 
part  of  Ireland,  and  General  Grant  was  a  descendant 
of  my  Grandmother  Gordon's  sister.  Grandfather 
McGary  preached  until  he  was  ninety  years  old,  and 
I  want  to  preach  until  I  am  one  hundred  years  old. 

My  father's  family  consisted  of  eleven  persons, 
nine  children,  four  boys  and  five  girls.  My  father 
was  a  lawyer ;  he  was  bom  in  Ohio,  and  married  De- 
borah Mendenhall,  in  the  little  village  of  Washing- 
ton, Wayne  County,  Indiana.  My  mother's  people 
were  English  and  in  England,  I  understand,  their 
name  was  Milden ;  after  the  name  of  their  estate,  or 
manor  '^Milden-Hall.''  But  after  coming  to  Amer- 
ica, the  name  became  corrupted  into  Mendenhall,  by 
which  they  continue  to  be  known.  My  mother's  peo- 
ple came  from  Guilford  County,  near  Greensboro, 
North  Carolina,  to  Wayne  County,  Indiana. 

They  were  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 


Ancestors  of  Esther  Gordon.  27 

Grandmother  Mendenhall  was  an  elder  in  the  Friends 
Church,  and  a  very  pious  woman,  and  much  loved. 

When  I  was  four  years  old  we  went  from  Wayne 
County,  Indiana,  to  Salem,  Henry  County,  Iowa. 
While  there  I  attended  my  first  school— a  private 
school  for  little  children.  Later  I  attended  a  Sem- 
inary. Eeuben  Borland,  a  Friend,  was  principal. 
He  was  a  devoted  and  very  genial  Christian,  and  all 
the  school  loved  him  very  much. 

From  Salem,  Iowa,  we  again  changed  our  home 
to  Boone  County,  Indiana.  There  I  attended  for  a 
time  a  private  school  taught  by  a  Presbyterian  min- 
ister's wife.  Then,  from  choice,  I  attended  Friends 
school,  one  mile  from  Thorntown.  Though  there  was 
a  good  school  in  town,  I  liked  the  Friends  school 
better.  The  beautiful  grounds  with  the  great  sugar 
maples,  the  school  house  and  the  great  old  meeting- 
house, with  its  long  rows  of  gallery  seats,  filled  on 
meeting  days  with  the  elderly  men  and  women 
Friends. 

In  the  beautiful  spring  days,  at  noon  time,  it  was 
my  delight  to  assemble  my  playmates  around  me,  and 
standing  on  an  old  stump,  or  in  the  **high  gallery '^ 
seat  in  the  old  meetinghouse,  and  preach  to  them,  and 
I  was  not  satisfied  until  I  had  made  them  weep  at 
some  story  I  had  told  them.  I  believe  the  Lord  even 
then  was  preparing  me  for  my  work  in  the  ministry, 
but  I  did  not  know  it. 

When  the  Methodists  built  their  Academy  in 
Thorntown  my  parents  thought  best  that  I  should  go 
there,  so  I .  left  my  dear  country  Quaker  school. 
While  attending  the  winter  term  of  the  Acadeijiy,  the 
pastor  of  the  Methodist  Church  held  a  series  of  meet- 
ings, at  which  many  of  the  students  were  converted ; 
the  spirit  of  the  Lord  swept  over  the  town  and 
through  the  Academy  in  a  remarkable  manner;  and 
among  the  number  converted  was  my  brother  Oliver. 


28  Esther's  Conversion. 

One  evening  after  we  had  returned  home  from 
meeting,  he  came  into  the  room  where  I  was,  and 
said,  *' Sister,  I  love  Jesus,  won't  youT*  That  was 
the  sermon  that  brought  me  to  Christ.  The  next 
night  when  we  went  to  the  meeting,  and  while  the 
congregation  were  singing  that  old  song— "Am  I  a 
Soldier  of  the  Cross*?"— I  went  to  the  altar;  and  I 
knew  just  as  well  what  I  was  doing  as  I  know  now. 

Esther's  Conversion. 

I  was  not  converted  that  night,  but  when  I  went 
home  my  father  was  angry  and  told  me  I  must  not 
go  to  the  altar  again  or  he  would  take  me  away.  I 
had  never  disobeyed  my  father,  and  I  had  never 
heard  him  talk  that  way  before.  I  wanted  to  go  to 
meeting,  and  my  heart  was  ready  to  break.  I  knew 
that  when  I  wanted  anything  of  my  father,  all  I  had 
to  do  was  to  put  my  arms  around  his  neck  and  then  I 
would  give  him  a  kiss  and  ask  for  it.  So  that  evening 
when  I  saw  him  coming,  I  ran  down  the  pathway  and 
met  him,  and  throwing  my  arms  around  his  neck  and 
kissing  him,  I  said,  ** Father  may  I  go  to  meeting?" 
and  he  said,  "Yes."  I  felt  like  a  little  bird  set  free. 
When  father  went  into  the  house  he  said  to  mother : 
"Mother,  I  could  not  resist  that  upturned  gaze  and 
pleading  voice."  I  do  not  know  whether  I  ate  any 
supper  that  night  or  not,  I  was  so  hungry  for  Jesus. 
I  went  to  the  altar  every  night  for  six  nights  and  my 
handkerchief  was  like  it  was  dipped  in  water.  Two 
dear  women,  Mrs.  Campbell  and  Mrs.  Cramer, 
kneeled  beside  me,  and  as  their  tears  ran  down  over 
my  little  head  they  said,  "O,  Lord,  bless  this  little  girl 
whose  father  and  mother  do  not  pray." 

One  stormy  night,  while  the  elements  were  war- 
ing without,  and  the  heavens  seemed  brass  above  me, 


Esther's  Conversion,  29 

I  felt  myself  sinking,  and  I  sank  and  sank  until  my 
feet  touched  the  purple  flood,  and  I  was  covered  all 
over  with  glory,  then  I  came  up  whiter  than  snow  and 
my  soul  was  filled  with  joy.  I  was  so  happy  I  could 
not  tell  it. 

As  I  went  home  that  night,  though  it  was  dark 
and  the  storm  was  raging  without,  my  soul  was 
illuminated  by  divine  grace  and  it  seemed  to  me  that 
I  almost  flew,  and  there  seemed  a  light  all  about  me. 
There  was  no  greater  punishment  for  me  than  to  keep 
me  away  from  meeting  and  school.  My  mother, 
though  tender  and  loving,  was  not  a  Christian  at  this 
time,  and  she  could  not  understand  what  made  me  so 
happy  and  why  I  was  so  full  of  joy  and  sang  the 
revival  hymns  so  much.  She  did  not  know  the  secret 
of  my  happiness.  But  I  understood  it,  as  no  one 
can  understand  it— only  those  who  have  tasted  the 
sweets  of  redeeming  grace. 

The  congregation  were  singing  the  hymn — 
"O,  how  happy  are  they 
Who  their  Saviour  obey, 

And  have  laid  up  their  treasures  above. 
Tongue  cannot  express 
The  sweet  comfort  and  peace 
Of  a  soul  in  its  earliest  love." 

And  while  the  congregation  sang  my  soul  had 
caught  the  holy  fire.  I  had  my  little  Bible  and  hymn 
book,  and  when  I  was  tempted  I  would  go  out  to  a 
great  elm  tree  and  there  read  my  Bible  and  sing  a 
hymn ;  then  I  would  kneel  down  among  the  old  roots 
and  pray  and  I  would  get  so  happy  and  be  so  filled 
with  joy  that  I  could  hardly  get  to  the  house,  and 
then  when  I  did  get  home  I  would  be  ready  for  my 
work. 

"Jesus  all  the  day  long, 
Was  my  joy  and  my  song." 


30  Esther  Joins  Church. 


Esther  Joins  Church, 

I  joined  the  JSIetliodist  Episcopal  Church  and 
found  a  home  among  the  dear  people.  Never  but 
once  or  twice  did  I  miss  a  prayer  or  class  meeting 
when  I  could  get  there.  I  remember  the  dear  old 
class  leader  who  encouraged  me  and  took  me  by  the 
hand  and  told  me  to  trust  in  Jesus.  This  dear  ' '  class 
leader"  has  long  since  swept  through  the  gates,  but  I 
can  hear  the  loving  words  he  spoke  to  me  yet  linger- 
ing in  my  heart  like  a  benediction  from  heaven. 

While  we  lived  at  Thorntown  I  went  away  from 
home  to  Blue  River  Seminary  in  the  the  southern 
part  of  Indiana.  My  brother,  Luther  Gordon,  was 
the  principal  of  this  school.  My  father  was  then  a 
member  of  the  Indiana  State  Legislature. 

Some  years  after  this  we  again  removed  to 
Salem,  Henry  County,  Iowa,  and  there  I  first  met 
Nathan  Frame. 

Call  to  the  Ministry. 

The  Lord  laid  his  hand  on  me  to  preach  when  I 
was  not  more  than  seven  j^ears  old,  when  I  was  as 
young  as  Samuel.  As  soon  as  I  was  converted  the 
weight  of  souls  came  upon  me.  I  did  not  know  what 
it  meant  then,  but  in  my  teens  God  gave  me  souls 
w^hile  He  was  preparing  me  for  the  ministry— all 
through  the  years  between  the  time  of  my  marriage 
and  my  conversion. 

When  I  was  attending  school  these  impressions 
were  following  me,  and  though  I  was  full  of  life  and 
always  joyous  and  happy  with  my  schoolmates, 
neither  they  nor  my  parents  knew  anything  of  my 
feelings.    They  only  knew  I  was  devoted  to  my 


Married  to  E.  G.  Gordon.  31 

church  and  loved  to  be  at  all  the  meetings,  and  that  I 
always  spoke  and  prayed. 

When  we  had  protracted  meetings  I  was  de- 
lighted to  go  out  and  persuade  sinners  to  come  to 
Christ,  and  I  never  was  happier  than  when  they  were 
converted  and  I  heard  them  testify  to  the  power  of 
Christ  to  save.  The  Lord  was  leading  and  preparing 
me  for  the  work  that  was  before  me. 

Married  to  E.  G.  Gordon. 

We  began  housekeeping  with  bright  hopes.  I 
farmed  during  the  spring  and  summer,  or  until  the 
crop  season  was  over,  and  taught  school  in  the  winter, 
—three  or  four  months— usually. 

We  soon  earned  and  saved  enough  money  to  pur- 
chase a  little  home  in  the  town,  of  Salem,  Iowa,  and 
continued  to  attend  the  Methodist  meeting,  Esther 
being  very  punctual  to  attend  all  the  meetings  when 
she  could,  and  I  thought  she  was  really  more  zealous 
than  she  need  be  and  did  more  in  the  meetings  than 
her  share  of  the  work. 

Sometimes  there  came  questionings  in  my  mind 
what  all  this  zeal  and  enthusiasm  she  was  manifesting 
might  lead  to  in  the  course  of  time.  She  might  be- 
come a  fanatic;  not  that  she  neglected  an)^  of  her 
household  duties,  for  the  little  home  was  always  in 
the  best  of  order,  and  the  most  pleasant  place  to  me 
on  earth.  But  I  noticed  that  she  was  not  only  giving 
a  clear  testimony  to  the  saving  power  of  grace,  but 
occasionally  exhorting  sinners  to  come  and  be  saved, 
and,  sometimes,  it  sounded  a  little  like  preaching. 
Though  I  would  not  admit  this  to  myself. 


32  The  Hand  of  the  Lord, 

CHAPTER  II. 
The  Hand  of  the  Lord. 

The  peace  that  came  at  my  conversion  and  had 
been  with  me  all  the  time  until  now  began  to  be  dis- 
turbed with  the  thought  that  I  might  be  called  to 
preach  the  gospel,  but  I  would  quickly  put  such  im- 
pressions aside. 

Esther  and  I  attended  all  the  protracted  meet- 
ings of  the  church  and  were  earnest  w^orkers  in  them. 
Esther  was  a  great  favorite  and  very  successful  in 
winning  souls  to  Christ  at  this  time. 

About  this  time  I  was  licensed  to  exhort  in  the 
Methodist  Church— much  against  my  own  wishes  and 
desires— for  we  had  planned  to  apply  ourselves  dilli- 
gently  to  business  and  earn  money  enough  to  have  a 
beautiful  home  and  ornamented  grounds;  then  we 
had  some  ambition  to  become  literary  people  and  we 
must  have  leisure  for  this,  and  we  saw  very  clearly 
to  become  preachers  left  little  chance  to  accmnulate 
wealth,  or  for  leisure  to  pursue  literary  studies,  only 
such  as  pertained  to  the  work  of  the  church.  So  the 
very  frequent  speaking  of  Esther  in  meeting  and  the 
growing  desire  in  the  church  to  hear  her,  and  the 
church  having  licensed  me  to  exhort,  and  telling  me 
they  were  looking  forward  to  the  time  when  I  should 
be  a  licensed  preacher  and  be  in  the  regular  work  (as 
they  termed  it),  was  a  source  of  trouble  to  me,  and  I 
resisted  all  the  encroachments  thus  made  on  our  life 
plans.  I  said  nothing  to  Esther  or  any  one  else  about 
my  feelings,  and  though  at  this  time  Esther  was  feel- 
ing the  weight  of  the  salvation  of  souls  pressing 
heavily  upon  her,  she  kept  it  all  to  herself. 

Two  years  and  a  half  after  our  marriage  our 
first  child  was  born  and  a  new  fountain  of  love  was 


The  Hand  of  the  Lord,  33 

opened  in  our  hearts,  but  the  little  darling  only  re- 
mained with  us  a  few  short  months. 

One  bleak  December  night,  when  the  fierce  storm 
and  wind  with  cold  hands  was  shaking  the  win- 
dows and  the  cold  snow  was  drifting  around  our 
dwelling,  the  messenger  had  come,  the  blue  eyes 
opened  wide  and  gave  a  loving  look  into  the  mother  |s 
face  as  she  pressed  him  to  her  heart  and  the  spirit 
had  flown  from  the  delicate  little  clay  tenement. 

"The  morning  flowers  display  their  sweets 
And  gay  their  silken  leaves  unfold, 
As  careless  of  the  noontide  heats, 
As  fearless  of  the  evening  cold. 

Nipped  by  the  wind's  untimely  blast, 

Parched  by  the  sun's  directer  ray; 
The  momentary  glories  pass, 

The  short-lived  beauties  die  away." 

A  few  intimate  friends  went  with  us  from  the 
vacant  home  to  the  cemetery  and  we  laid  our  first 
born  away  to  sleep  until  the  resurection  morning. 
When  we  returned  to  our  home  w^e  felt  as  millions 
have  done  before— that  the  home  had  been  robbed  of 
one  of  its  brightest  jewels. 

The  years  passed  until  two  more  children  came 
to  our  home  to  gladden  and  brighten  our  hearts  with 
the  sunshine  of  their  presence.  Then  we  were  very 
happy  in  the  possession  of  these  God-given  treasures, 
with  their  silvery  laughter,  their  cunning,  childish 
ways,  their  sweet  dependencies  that  looked  to  us  for 
everything. 

But  the  Lord  was  still  laying  the  work  upon  us, 
yet  we  did  not  speak  to  each  other  about  it.  We  both 
instinctively  knew  that  we  were  not  in  a  state  of  mind 
to  talk  to  each  other  on  this  most  delicate  subject.  I 
could  not  hide  from  myself  the  fact  that  Esther,  year 
after  year,  was  becoming  more  and  more  absorbed  in 
the  work  of  the  Lord,  and  that  if  it  increased  on  her 


34  The  Hand  of  the  Lord. 

as  it  had  in  the  past  few  years,  she  surely  tvo2ild  he- 
come  a  preacher. 

And  when  this  thought  filled  my  mind,  as  it  fre- 
quently did,  my  heart  was  filled  with  bitterness 
against  it,  and  I  could  think  of  no  greater  calamity 
that  could  befall  us  than  for  her  to  become  a  preacher 
and  in  her  youth  and  beauty  and  womanliness  should 
stand  before  the  multitude  to  be  gazed  at  and  criti- 
cized as  a  woman  preacher,  and  be  compelled,  from 
the  very  nature  of  her  calling,  to  mingle,  as  a  minis- 
ter, with  all  kinds  of  people  and  classes  of  society. 

I  had  no  scruples  as  to  the  scriptural  authority 
for  women  to  preach.  I  was  willing  for  all  the 
women  in  the  church  to  preach,  except  Esther,  and  as 
many  men  as  God  called  and  were  qualified  for  the 
work  and  I  was  willing  to  assist  them  in  their  work ; 
but  as  for  Esther  and  myself  I  greatly  desired  that 
we  might  be  excused. 

Sometimes  I  argued  that  I  need  not  be  troubled, 
that  there  was  no  immediate  danger  of  her  becoming 
a  minister,  for  the  Methodist  Church  did  not  ordain 
women,  and  I  thought  she  was  too  much  of  a  Metho- 
dist to  ever  be  anything  else,  so  there  was  some  com- 
fort in  this  thought. 

The  Quakers. 

The  cares  of  the  family  and  worldly  ambitions 
filled  up  much  of  the  time,  but  we  were  drifting  on         | 
toward  a  crisis  in  the  history  of  our  lives  when  we 
must  settle  this  question. 

"God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way 
His  wonders  to  perform. 
He  plants  His  footsteps  in  the  sea 
And  rides  upon  the  storm. 


The  Quakers.  35 

His  purposes  are  ripening  fast, 

Unfolding  every  hour. 
The  bun  may  have  a  bitter  taste, 

But  sweet  will  be  the  flower." 

There  was  another  phase  of  the  question  that 
attracted  my  attention.  Esther  frequently  went  to 
the  Quaker  meeting,  especially  when  some  "travel- 
ing friend"  came  along  and  had  an  ** appointed  meet- 
ing." I  had  little  knowledge  of  friends  as  a  church, 
and  I  had  no  desire  to  have  it  increased.  I  knew 
them  as  a  people  who  used  *'the  plain  language," 
wore  broad-brimmed  hats  and  odd-looking  bonnets 
and  queer  coats  and  dresses. 

Esther  would  tell  me  of  the  good  meetings  at  the 
Friends^  meeting-house  and  ask  me  to  go  with  her. 
I  told  her  I  could  be  still  at  home,  and  to  much  more 
profit  than  at  the ' '  Friends  *  meeting, ' '  and  that,  with- 
out walking  half  a  mile. 

I  was  becoming  so  perplexed  with  the  way  some 
unseen  hand  seemed  to  be  leading  me  against  my  will 
that  I  seriously  meditated  severing  myself  from  any 
connection  with  the  church. 

Visit  to  Indiana  for  Health. 

About  this  time  Esther's  health  became  much 
broken  down  and  we  made  arrangements  for  her  to 
go  to  Indiana.  She  took  the  train  at  Mt.  Pleasant, 
Iowa,  leaving  myself  and  Itasca  at  Salem,  taking 
Corrinne  (the  babj^)  with  her. 

The  plans  that  we  had  mapped  out  were  not 
being  realized.  The  death  of  our  first  born,  the  ill 
health  of  Esther,  the  continued  voice  of  the  Spirit, 
urging  her  into  larger  fields  of  work  for  the  Lord, 
seemed  to  cloud  the  future  with  mists  and  shut  out 
all  the  beautiful  sunlight  of  former  anticipations.    I 


36  At  Sea. 

was  not  as  yet  willing,  indeed  thought  it  impossible 
with  Esther  an  invalid,  with  two  little  children,  to  go 
into  the  ministry. 

Esther  had  already  made  known  to  her  mother 
that  she  felt  called  to  preach,  and  it  had  become 
known  among  some  of  the  prominent  members  of  the 
church.  Some  sjonpathized  with  her  and  desired  her 
encouraged,  while  others  did  not  think  it  was  a 
woman's  place  to  preach,  yet  all  loved  and  encour- 
aged her  in  gospel  work. 

At  Sea. 

I  had  been  at  the  "Friends'  meetings''  a  few 
times  with  her.  I  had  determined  to  take  a  letter 
from  the  Methodist  church  so  that  I  could  have  an 
honorable  discharge  and  then  I  would  never  join  any 
church  and  that  would  settle  the  question  of  my  ever 
being  a  minister  of  the  gospel.  I  knew  the  Quakers 
did  not  hold  protracted  meetings  and  I  thought  it 
could  make  no  difference  and  so  decided  to  tell  her 
when  she  came  home  that  if  she  desired  to  join  the 
Friends  to  join  them  and  preach.  It  was  bitterness 
to  me,  but  it  was  worse  among  the  Methodists,  for 
they  held  prayer  meetings,  and  class  meetings,  and 
love  feasts,  protracted  meetings,  and  camp  meetings, 
too,  and  there  were  many  more  opportunities  for  her 
to  preach  in  the  Methodist  church  than  among  the 
^^ quiet  Quakers.''^  And  then  I  thought  if  she  must 
preach  she  better  go  where  she  could  be  ordained,  and 
I  knew  she  could  not  be  among  the  Methodists,  as 
their  church  law  made  no  provision  for  ordaining 
women  to  be  preachers.  So  I  decided  that  she  better 
join  a  church  that  made  no  distinction  between  7nen 
and  women,  so  far  as  gospel  work  was  concerned,  a 


At  Sea,  37 

dmrcli  where  gifts  and  grace  alone  should  determine 
their  position  in  the  church. 

So  the  long  days  of  that  summer  when  my  Esther 
and  baby  were  away  and  the  other  darling  and  myself 
were  at  home  were  days  of  unrest  and  often  nights  of 
waking.  Silence  in  regard  to  this  matter,  that  was 
preying  on  both  of  us,  had  not  been  broken.  We  had 
never,  that  I  remember  of,  up  to  this  time,  spoken  a 
word  to  each  other  on  the  subject  of  Esther  preach- 
ing. All  other  topics  were  freely  discussed,  but  on 
this  one  theme  there  seemed  to  be  a  gulf  fixed,  but  the 
time  was  soon  to  come  when  this  chasm  should  be 
bridged  over  and  the  mists,  some  of  them  at  least, 
cleared  away. 

We  kept  up  a  frequent  correspondence,  and  in 
one  of  my  letters  I  said  to  Esther,  "There  is  some- 
thing troubling  your  mind. ' '  Tell  me  what  it  is.  She 
did  not  answer  that  part  of  the  letter.  I  next  wrote 
and  said:  "As  soon  as  you  are  well  enough  come 
home,"  and  in  a  few  weeks  she  came.  So  when  the 
first  family  greetings  were  over  I  took  her  aside  and 
said:  "If  you  desire  to  join  'Friends,'  join  them, 
and  if  you  want  to  preach,  why  preach." 

An  Oasis. 

We  applied  for  letters  from  the  Methodist 
church  and  they  were  given  to  us,  though  they  plead 
for  us  to  remain  with  them.  I  was  a  licensed  ex- 
horter  at  this  time,  and  it  was  so  stated  in  the  letter 
that  was  given  me.  I  had  not  at  this  date  exercised 
my  gift  much,  as  I  did  not  intend  to  work  in  that  way. 

Esther  says  of  this  period  in  our  history :  "After 
my  husband  told  me  he  was  willing  that  I  should  join 
the  'Friends'  church'  I  felt  that  God  was  opening 
the  way  in  answer  to  prayer,  and  yet  I  had  not  fully 


38  An  Oasis. 

consecrated  myself  to  the  Lord  to  be  a  woman 
preacher. 

"I  now  determined  to  become  a  Friend,  though 
the  Methodists  were  pleading  with  me  to  come  back  to 
them,  and  the  minister  who  had  given  us  the  letters, 
and  the  presiding  elder,  besought  me  to  put  my  letter 
back  in  the  church,  and  said  they  would  give  me 
license  to  preach  in  their  district,  but  they  could  not 
ordain  me. 

"At  the^close  of  the  Conference  year  another  min- 
ister waS|Sent  to  Salem,  and  he  came  to  see  me  and 
asked  for  my  letter.  I  gave  it  to  him,  and  he  said  to 
me  after  reading  it :  'Now,  Sister  Frame,  let  me  keep 
the  letter,  and  you  come  back  to  the  church ;  all  are 

Talks  With  the  M.  E.  Minister. 

ready  to  welcome  you. '  I  told  him  that  I  was  called 
to  preach  and  that  Friends  granted  tvomen  the  same 
privilege  in  the  church  that  they  allowed  man.  I 
shall  not  soon  forget  the  look  of  contempt  he  gave  me 
as  he  replied,  'It  is  all  nonsense  to  think  a  woman  is 
called  to  preach. '  He  sealed  it  then ;  I  felt  the  chain 
was  severed  and  I  must  seek  a  home  somewhere  else 
and  asked  him  to  hand  me  back  my  letter.  I  now  in- 
formed the  'Overseers'  of  Salem  Meeting  of  Friends 
that  I  desired  to  become  a  member  of  their  church. 
The  Friends  at  that  time  did  not  receive  letters  from 
other  churches.  So  the  Overseers  brought  my  name 
before  the  preparative  meeting.  There  had  been  no 
application  for  membership  in  that  meeting  for 
twenty  years,  and,  according  to  the  discipline,  there 
must  be  a  committee  appointed  to  visit  me  and  know  i 
if  I  was  sincere  in  my  request.  I  had  great  confi-  f 
dence  in  the  Friends  and  thought  whenever  I  saw  a 
plain  bonnet  or  a  broad-brimmed  hat  the  wearers 
were  Christians,  so  when  the  'committee'  came  to  see 


Talks  With  M.  E.  Minister.  89 

me  I  opened  my  heart  to  them  and  told  them  how  the 
Lord  was  calling  me  into  the  work.  The  committee 
consisted  of  three  elderly  women.  The  first  one  who 
spoke  to  me  was  a  dear  Christian  mother ;  she  spoke 
landly  and  gave  me  encouragement.  The  next  one 
was  quite  mild  in  her  talk,  but  thought  it  very  strange 
that  a  young  Methodist  woman  should  desire  to  join 
the  *  Friends  meeting'  and  wanted  to  know  why  I  did 

Considering  My  Application. 

not  remain  among  the  Methodists ;  she  did  not  under- 
stand why  a  singing  Methodist,  and  one  who  spoke  in 
class  meetings  and  prayed  in  public  as  I  did  should 
desire  to  become  a  *  Friend.'  After  the  two  men- 
tioned had  spoken  to  me  there  was  a  long  and  solemn 
silence,  and  then  it  Avas  broken  by  the  last  one  saying, 
*  Esther  Frame,  it  has  been  given  me  to  tell  thee  that 
thee  does  not  know  the  first  principles  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion. ' 

*'I  w^as  perfectly  amazed  and  deeply  woimded 
and  felt  as  if  my  heart  would  break,  but  after  a  little 
time  I  gained  control  of  my  feelings  enough  to  ask 
her  this  question:  *Do  I  understand  thee  to  say  that 
I  have  not  been  converted?'  and  then  she  replied,  *I 
have  no  explanation  to  make ;  I  have  no  explanation 
to  make ;  it  was  given  me  to  say  to  thee  that  thee  does 
not  know  the  first  principles  of  the  Christian  relig- 
ion. '  And  soon  they  departed  and  left  my  poor  heart 
full  of  sorrow.  In  a  short  time  Nathan  came  in  and 
f oimd  me  in  tears  and  I  soon  told  him  what  was  the 
cause  of  my  distress. 

**My  health  at  this  time  was  very  delicate  and  I 
was  often  prostrated  from  nervous  headache,  and 
this  was  a  severe  shock  to  my  nerves. 

Another  Committee  Appointed. 

"The  committee  could  do  no  less  than  make  a  fa- 


40  Considering  My  Application. 

Yorable  report  to  the  monthly  meeting.  There  was 
much  discussion  in  that  staid  and  quiet  Friends  meet- 
ing and  it  was  thought  best  that  Friends  should  move 
with  great  care  in  this  matter,  so  weighty  as  the  re- 
ception into  membership  of  a  person  who  had  not 
been  raised  as  a  Friend  and  did  not  wear  the  plain 
dress. 

''And  though  upon  a  favorable  report  of  a  com- 
mittee, the  discipline  allowed  the  meeting  to  accept 
the  applicant,  it  was  thought  best  by  many  Friends 
that  there  should  be  another  committee  appointed,  so 
the  preparative  meeting  sent  their  report  to  the 
monthly  meeting  and  they  appointed  a  committee  of 
five  women  Friends  to  visit  me.  This  second  com- 
mittee came  to  see  me  and  had  some  further  service ; 
but  before  this  second  committee  came,  or  had  been 
appointed,  Nathan  wanted  me  to  withdraw  my  name, 
as  I  had  been  treated  so  badly  by  a  part  of  the  first 
committee.  But  I  felt  that  I  must  not  do  this.  Then 
Nathan  went  to  see  Elwood  Osborn,  one  of  the  most 
influential  and  prominent  members  in  the  meeting 
and  told  him  if  the  meeting  appointed  any  more 
Friends  to  visit  me  they  must  select  a  committee  to 
treat  me  with  Christian  courtesy,  that  my  health  was 
much  impaired  and  that  he  would  not  suffer  me  to  be 
again  ill  treated. 

"Elwood  Osborn  promised  Nathan  that  there 
should  be  a  good  committee  appointed,  and  there  was, 
except  one  of  them.  As  I  had  so  fully  opened  my 
mind  to  the  first  committee  and  I  had  been  so 
wounded,  I  did  not  know  whether  I  had  better  do  it 
now.  One  of  the  dear  old  mothers  began  to  weep, 
and  said:  'Esther,  thee  is  among  thy  friends  now; 
thee  may  speak  freely  to  us.' 

*'They  all  spoke  very  kindly  and  lovingly  to  me, 
except  one  woman,  and  she  asked  me  if  I  would  wear 
a  *  plain  bonnet.'    I  told  her  I  could  not  change  my 


Elwood  Ozrun. 


Esther  Consecrates  Herself.  41 

dress,  only  as  the  Lord  led  me;  that  He  would  show 
me  what  I  must  put  on  and  what  I  must  take  off.  We 
had  a  good  meeting  and  the  committee  made  their 
report  and  I  was  received  as  a  member  of  the  Salem 
Monthly  Meeting  of  Friends. 

*'As  my  health  and  time  would  allow  I  attended 
Friends*  meeting  and  sometimes  spoke  a  few  words 
or  knelt  in  prayer.  I  felt  that  the  Lord  was  leading 
me  in  a  way  that  I  had  not  known  and  the  pathway 
seemed  rugged ;  I  felt  I  was  where  the  Lord  wanted 
me,  and  I  was  trusting  Him. 

Esther  Consecrates  Herself. 

*'The  strain  upon  my  nervous  system  had  been 
so  great  that  my  health  was  surely  giving  way  under 
it  and  my  friends  said  I  would  die,  but  the  voice  of 
the  Lord  said  unto  me, '  Preach  My  Gospel ! '  I  said : 
*How  can  I,  Lord?  My  health  is  so  poor,  and  here  are 
my  two  little  girls  who  must  have  my  care;  I  love 
Thee  and  am  willing  to  work  in  the  Sabbath  School. 
I  am  a  woman  and  I  cannot  preach.  I  am  so  timid, 
and  Thou  knowest  how  I  shrink  from  it,'  but  all  the 
answer  I  could  hear  was  this : 

"  ^Preach  my  Gospel!' 

*'I  was  so  prostrated  at  this  time  that  I  could  not 
pray  aloud.  My  appetite  had  failed  luitil  I  ate  but 
little.  Sometimes,  when  I  was  strong  enough,  after 
I  had  gotten  the  children  asleep  I  have  walked  the 
house  for  hours  wringing  my  hands  and  saying,  *0, 
Lord,  I  wish  I  could,  but  I  cannot  preach,  my  hus- 
band does  not  want  me  to  preach,  and  I  am  sick,  and 
have  my  two  little  children,  and  must  care  for  them. ' 
Sometimes  the  world  would  come  up  before  me  like 
a  sea  of  people  and  the  Voice  would  ever  keep  saying, 
'Preach  My  Gospel!' 


42  Esther  Consecrates  Herself, 

**One  time  when  I  had  been  walking  the  floor 
and  wringing  my  hands,  I  suddenly  stopped,  and  the 
lower  pit  opened  and  the  smoke  of  the  torment  of  the 
lost  came  up  before  me  and  all  the  smoke  had  tongues 
and  cried  out,  'If  you  had  done  your  duty  I  would 
have  been  saved,  but  now  I  am  lost.'  Then  for  the 
first  time  I  said:  'Yea,  Lord,  I  will  go  if  it  takes  my 
life;  I  do  not  see  any  way,  but  as  fast  as  the  way 
opens  I  will  follow. ' 

"After  this  I  felt  some  relieved;  but  still  the 
burden  of  lost  souls  was  pressing  heavily  upon  me, 
'and  seemed  like  fire  shut  up  in  my  bones  that  was 
consuming  me,  and  I  felt  woe  is  me  if  I  preach  not  the 
Gospel.'  " 

Esther  now  having  joined  Friends  and  I  having 
given  my  approval  for  her  to  preach,  we  felt  the  Lord 
was  preparing  us  to  go  into  the  field.  The  Lord 
seemed  to  clearly  show  us  that  we  should  begin  our 
work  in  the  limits  of  Indiana  yearly  meeting,  near 
Richmond.  Having  severed  ourselves  from  the 
Methodist  Church,  and  Esther  now  being  a  member 
of  Friends,  and  I  intending  to  join  them,  we  con- 
sulted some  of  the  most  spiritually  minded  among 
Friends  at  Salem  with  regard  to  the  work. 

Home  Associations. 

Among  the  few  to  whom  we  opened  our  minds 
was  Elwood  Osbom,  one  of  the  most  gifted  minis- 
ters at  Salem.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  natural  abili- 
ties and  devoted  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  but  at  this 
time  in  the  history  of  the  Friends  Church  there  was 
no  provision  made  to  give  ministers  any  financial 
aid,  except  sometimes  to  pay  their  traveling  expenses 
on  their  religious  visits  to  distant  meetings. 

So  Elwood  Osborn,  like  many  other  devoted  min- 
isters, spent  much  of  his  time  on  his  farm  to  support 


Preparing  to  Go  to  Indiana,  43 

his  family,  preaching  when  he  could,  and  often  doing 
double  work,  and  breaking  down  before  his  time; 
peace  to  his  memory.  Though  we  had  made  the  con- 
secration of  ourselves  to  the  Lord's  work,  to  which 
we  felt  we  were  called,  there  was  yet  to  come  the  pain 
and  struggle  of  breaking  up  the  home  and  loved  as- 
sociations. Selling  the  little  house  that  we  had 
earned,  leaving  the  people  with  whom  we  had  min- 
gled for  many  years,  bidding  farewell  to  brothers 
and  sisters,  and  father  and  mother,  and  the  many 
precious  things  that  now  became  all  the  more  dear 
to  us  as  the  consciousness  came  over  our  minds  that 
we  must  leave  them  all  for  a  time  at  least,  and  it 
might  be  to  return  no  more. 

We  had  fully  determined  to  go  to  Wayne  Co., 
Indiana,  and  commence  work  among  Friends  there, 
and  any  other  work  among  the  masses  that  might 
open  before  us. 

Preparing  To  Go  To  Indiana. 

We  had  an  offer  for  our  cottage  home  and  sold 
it.  The  lot  on  which  the  house  stood  had  some  beau- 
tiful apple  and  shade  trees,  and  I  had  made  some 
nice  little  swings,  with  chair  seats  to  them,  under 
the  shade  of  these  trees,  where  our  dear  little  girls 
spent  many  of  the  bright  summer  days,  swinging  and 
plajdng.  One  day  the  elder  daughter  came  to  us  and 
said,  ^'You  have  sold  our  home  and  we  have  no  home 
now;  and  we  can't  swing  any  more  when  we  go  away 
from  here.  What  made  you  sell  our  home?"  The 
little  heart  seemed  breaking  with  her  childish  grief. 
I  took  her  in  my  arms  and  tried  to  comfort  her,  by 
telling  her  that  God  would  give  us  a  beautiful  home 
after  awhile.  But  my  words  were  so  meaningless  to 
the  poor  sorrowing  little  heart  that  nestled  so  closely 
to  my  own  disturbed  and  heaving  bosom,  as  she  there 


44  The  Home  Sold. 

poured  out  her  childish  grief.  I  could  not  tell  her 
that  we  would  buy  another  home  and  arrange  some 
little  swings  for  her  and  sister,  that  they  might  again 
call  their  own. 

But  the  grief  of  childhood  is  short,  and  the  little 
one  was  again  happy  with  her  play,  and  the  sweet 
light  and  sunshine  came  back  into  her  face ;  but  our 
hearts  had  the  burden  to  bear  that  seemed  almost  too 
much  for  us,  though  we  kept  it  all  to  ourselves 

The  Home  Sold, 

Esther  records  in  her  Journal  at  this  time, 
**With  trembling  hand  I  signed  the  deed  to  our  cot- 
tage home,  and  began  preparing  and  packing  our 
goods. 

I  embalmed  every  article  with  my  tears.  I 
would  pack  awhile,  and  then  weep  awhile;  at  last  I 
said  take  house  and  household  goods,  too,  Lord. 

Then  I  took  my  husband  and  lay  him  upon  the 
altar,  then  I  took  darling  Tassie  and  lay  her  upon  the 
altar,  then  I  took  my  sweet  Carrinne  out  of  the  crib 
and  lay  her  upon  the  altar. 

Then  I  went  down  to  my  father's  home,  and  saw 
my  precious  mother  from  whom  I  had  never  been 
separated,  and  I  said,  must  I  give  her  up  too,  and  I 
lay  mother  upon  the  altar ;  then  there  was  my  father 
who  had  not  been  converted,  and  I  lay  him  upon  the 
altar. 

Then  last  of  all  I  threw  myself  down  upon  the 
altar  and  said,  ^'Lord  take  poor  Esther,  too,  and  the 
altar  sanctified  the  gift,  and  fire  came  down  from 
heaven,  and  sweet  incense  has  been  arising  ever 
since,  and  there  has  never  been  a  cloud  that  has  for 
a  moment  come  between  me  and  my  father's  face 
and  I  was  wholly  sanctified  and  filled  with  the  spirit. 


On  Tram  for  Richmond.  45 


On  the  Train  for  Richmond, 

The  time  had  now  come  for  me  to  start  on  my 
journey.  Nathan  would  remain  at  Salem  for  the 
present,  to  attend  to  the  settling  of  our  business,  and 
store  the  household  goods,  as  we  would  not  take  them 
with  us  until  we  knew  where  we  should  locate.  I  was 
to  take  our  two  little  children  with  me. 

Mother  was  preparing  a  lunch  for  us,  and  as  she 
passed  around,  I  could  see  that  now  and  then  she 
stopped  to  brush  away  a  tear.  At  last  she  threw  her 
arms  around  me  and  said,  **  child,  go  preach  the  gos- 
pel, I  could  not  give  thee  up  for  anything  else,  but  go 
preach  the  gospel ;  thee  has  always  been  a  joy  to  me.'* 
Father  went  with  us  to  the  train,  and  when  we  ar- 
rived at  the  depot  and  were  waiting  for  the  train  to 
come,  he  was  walking  up  and  down  the  platform  in 
front  of  the  waiting  room,  and  I  saw  that  he  was  very 
restless,  and  pretty  soon  he  came  to  me  and  said,  **my 
dear  Esther,  I  was  called  to  preach  when  I  was  a 
yoimg  man  but  did  not  do  it ;  it  is  too  late  now.  Go 
preach  the  gospel,  and  may  God  help  thee."  Then 
we  gathered  the  little  ones  and  the  luggage  up  and  I 
bade  father  and  Nathan  good  by,  and  with  the  little 
children  boarded  the  train,  and  was  whirled  away 
from  the  ^^old  home/'  and  all  of  my  loved  ones. 

On  the  Train  for  Richmond. 

I  did  not  allow  myself  to  break  down  and  weep 
imtil  after  we  were  on  the  train  and  started,  then  I 
bowed  my  head  and  wept;  it  seemed  that  my  head 
was  a  fountain  of  tears 

While  there  was  joy  and  rest  in  my  heart  and 
my  soul  was  illuminated  by  the  light  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  there  was  a  sense  of  loneliness  all  about  me  as 


46  On  Train  for  Bichmond. 

the  train  hurried  me  away  from  the  loved  ones.  This 
was  near  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  I 
started,  and  I  shall  never  forget  the  first  night's  ride 
on  the  train  from  Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa,  to  Chicago, 
with  my  two  little  girls,  and  all  the  other  precious 
ones  left  behind,  but  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  was  with 
me  and  supported  me. 

At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  next  day,  I  ar- 
rived at  Thorntown,  Boone  Co.,  Indiana,  and 
stopped  one  or  two  days  at  my  brother  Luther  Gor- 
don's and  rested.  I  was  very  weary  and  my  health 
very  delicate.  Then  when  I  had  rested  a  little,  I 
went  on  to  Richmond,  Indiana,  to  attend  the  yearly 
meeting  of  Friends  that  was  then  in  session. 

We  had  not  made  any  special  arrangements 
what  we  should  do,  or  where  we  should  commence 
our  work,  only  go  to  the  yearly  meeting  first. 

All  heyond  was  unhnoivn,  only  as  the  way  might 
be  opened  from  day  to  day,  and  we  should  find  our 
field  of  work  for  the  coming  winter. 


Esther  at  Yearly  Meeting,  47 

CHAPTER  III. 

Esther  at  Yearly  Meeting, 

Though  it  was  known  to  some  friends  that  we 
had  left  our  home  to  preach  the  gospel,  I  did  not 
think  of  meeting  any  one  whom  I  knew.  I  arrived 
weary,  at  Richmond,  a  little  after  noon  on  the  day  I 
left  my  brother  Luther's  at  Thorntown.  But  when 
I  stepped  off  the  train  there  was  only  one  face  in  all 
that  company  that  I  knew— Harmon  Allen,  of  Thorn- 
town.  I  gave  him  my  baby,  and  he  carried  it  to  the 
Yearly  Meeting  House  grounds 

Then  I  walked  over  the  beautiful  grounds,  car- 
rying my  baby  and  leading  the  other  little  one.  I 
continued  walking  around  until  near  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon— still  trusting  in  the  Lord,  and  yet 
feeling  my  poor  weak  physical  giving  way  under  the 
long  continued  strain.  Just  then,  a  smiling  face 
came  out  from  among  the  throng  of  people,  and  ap- 
proaching me  said,  *'Is  not  this  Esther  Frame'?"  and 
I  replied  that  was  my  name.  ^'Well,"  said  John 
Haisley,  we  heard  thee  and  Nathan  had  left  your 
home  and  were  going  out  to  work  for  the  Lord,  and 
my  wife  and  I  have  been  talking  the  matter  over,  and 
have  concluded  to  offer  you  a  home  at  our  house  for 
the  present. 

(A  Friend.) 

**We  live  in  the  country  eight  miles  from  here, 
and  have  plenty  of  room  for  your  family  and  ours. 
We  have  been  coming  to  Yearly  Meeting  in  our  car- 
riage every  day  until  this  morning;  but  this  morn- 
ing I  felt  like  coming  in  the  spring  wagon,  but  could 
not  tell  why,  but  now  I  know.    It  was  the  Lord  that 


48  Seeking  Employment. 

impressed  me  to  do  it,  so  that  there  might  be  room 

enough  to  take  thee  and  thy  trunks  out  to  our  home." 

********* 

I  remained  in  Iowa  about  one  month  to  settle 
our  business,  and  then  came  on  to  Indiana  to  join  my 
family,  leaving  our  household  goods  in  Salem  in 
boxes  at  Father  Gordon's. 

We  only  took  with  us  our  wearing  apparel. 
When  I  arrived  I  found  Esther  and  the  children  as 
well  and  happy  as  they  could  be  imder  the  circum- 
stances. Esther  seemed  more  cheerful,  and  her  health 
appeared  to  be  some  improved ;  we  felt  that  the  way 
was  beginning  to  be  opened. 

We  had  followed  one  step  after  another,  without 
seeing  but  a  very  little  that  was  before  us,  and  yet  the 
way  seemed  to  be  clearly  enough  marked  out  for  us 
to  go  forward,  and  though  sometimes  we  were  sorely 
tempted  by  the  enemy,  we  found  the  Lord's  grace 
sufficient. 

Seeking  Employment. 

I  made  application  for  a  district  school  one  mile 
from  the  Friends  where  we  were  staying,  who  had  so 
kindly  opened  their  doors  to  us. 

The  names  of  these  dear  friends  are  John  and 
Anna  Haisley.  They  had  three  children,  two  daugh- 
ters and  a  son.  I  was  employed  as  teacher  of  the 
school  for  which  I  made  application,  and  taught 
three  months.  We  paid  a  small  sum  per  week  for 
our  board,  I  think  about  fifty  dollars  for  the  three 
months  while  I  taugh  school,  and  we  lived  in  the  fam- 
ily as  if  we  had  belonged  to  the  same  household.  It 
was  a  dear  home  of  rest,  and  the  kindness  and  help 
and  sympathy  of  John  and  Anna  Haisley  when  we 
needed  it  most,  we  shall  remember  with  joy,  and 
gratitude  until  our  work  is  done. 


Friends  and  Their  Meetings.  49 

There  was  a  Friends  meeting-liouse  in  the 
neighborhood,  one  of  the  old  style,  a  long, 
low,  one-story  frame  house,  unpainted,  and  weather- 
beaten,  with  a  partition  running  across  the  center, 
and  dividing  the  house  into  two  apartments, 
one  department  for  'Uvomen,  and  one  for  men 
Friends/'  The  partition  was  arranged  so  that  it 
could  be  raised  or  lowered,  as  the  meeting  desired. 
In  time  of  business  meetings  it  was  closed,  as  men 
and  women  Friends  did  their  business  with  ^^  closed 
shutters,^'  but  when  the  meeting  was  only  for  wor- 
ship the  shutters  ivere  open. 

Friends  and  Their  Meetings. 

When  we  first  attended  meeting  at  *' Concord," 
Friends  occupied  only  one  side  of  the  house,  and  it 
was  more  than  sufficient.  There  was  only  the  regu- 
lar meetings— Sabbath  and  Wednesday,  commenc- 
ing always  at  eleven  o'clock  A.  M.  and  '^ concluding'* 
after  an  hour's  continuance  usually,  then  the  friend 
who  sat  at  the  head  of  the  meeting  would  shake 
hands  with  the  friend  next  to  him  on  the  left,  and 
then  a  general  hand-shake  by  all,  and  this  was  the 
beautiful  benediction  with  which  the  ^'old  time 
Friends''  closed  their  meetings.  Singing  was  un- 
knotun  in  a  Friends  meeting  at  this  time,  and  often 
there  was  not  a  word  spoken  during  the  meeting 
hour.  But  the  spirit  that  they  had  waited  for  so  long 
to  move  them,  and  for  which  they  had  many  times 
silently  asked,  was  about  to  awaken  a  slumbering 
church  and  touch  many  lips  with  live  coals  from  off 
God's  holy  altar  and  anoint  them  to  preach  the  glad 
tidings  of  salvation. 

If  the  ears  of  that  meeting  could  have  been 
opened  to  hear,  they  doubtless  would  have  heard,  as 
one  did  in  days  of  old,  **the  sound  of  a  going  in  the 


50  Our  Work  Commenced, 

mulberry  trees,"  or  if  their  eyes  could  have  been 
opened  they  would  have  seen  as  the  servant  of  Elisha 
did,  ^'horses  of  fire,  and  chariots  of  fire." 

Our  Work  Commenced. 

I  began  my  school  about  the  first  of  December, 
walking  a  mile  to  the  little  school  house  in  the  morn- 
ing and  returning  in  the  evening.  We  attended 
regularly  the  ''Concord  Friends  Meeting,"  only  I 
could  not  attend  in  the  middle  of  the  week,  but  Esther 
was  always  there,  both  in  the  middle  of  the  week  and 
on  the  Sabbath.  I  was  now  a  member  of  the  church, 
having  joined  since  coming  to  Indiana.  It  began  to 
be  known  in  the  community  that  Esther  and  Nathan 
Frame  frequently  spoke  in  the  meetings,  and  even  in 
the  middle  of  the  week,  and  the  little  meeting  house 
was  soon  filled ;  indeed  would  scarcely  hold  the  peo- 
ple. Our  dear  friends,  John  and  Anna  Haisley,  did 
all  they  could  to  assist  us  in  our  religious  work,  by 
taking  us  in  their  carriage  to  the  meetings  near 
where  they  resided.  Here  we  really  began  our  min- 
istry. Not  being  recorded  ministers  we  could  not 
appoint  meetings  without  violating  the  discipline  of 
the  church,  and  this  we  would  not  do.  There  was  a 
great  hungering  among  the  younger  portion  of  the 
membership  of  the  church  for  revival  meetings,  and 
great  desire  to  knotv  that  they  were  saved,  and  we 
frequently  appointed  what  we  called  ''Tract  reading 
meetings."  These  meetings  were  held  in  private 
houses,  among  the  more  liberal  minded  friends.    We 

Tract  Reading  Meetings. 

would  make  known  to  the  young  people  that  we 
would,  on  a  certain  evening,  be  at  some  Friend's 
house  and  have  a  "Tract  Reading."    These  meetings 


Nathan  T.  Frame  Commences  His  Ministry. 


Esther  G.  Frame  Commences  Her  Ministry, 


Out cro pings  in  the  Meetings.  51 

were  usually  conducted  in  the  following  manner: 
The  company  passed  the  first  half  hour  in  social  con- 
versation, then  Esther,  or  myself,  or  some  friend 
would  be  appointed  to  read  a  short  tract  (religious) 
for  the  edification  of  the  company. 

These  tracts  were  always  selected  with  great 
care,  and  with  reference  to  presenting  gospel  truths 
in  such  a  manner  that  the  unsaved  might  be  brought 
to  Christ,  and  the  believers  edified.  When  the  tract 
had  been  read,  then  comments  were  in  order  by  any 
of  the  company,  exhortations  given,  and  also  testi- 
monies and  prayers  offered.  And  we  often  found 
ourselves  in  the  midst  of  a  revival  meeting,  where 
sinners  were  converted  and  the  voice  of  praise  was 
sometimes  heard  in  these  tract  reading  meetings. 

The  interest  in  these  meetings  became  so  great 
that  the  houses  where  they  were  held  could  not  ac- 
commodate the  people  who  desired  to  attend.  The 
revival  spirit  was  sweeping  through  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  the  friends,  especially  many  of  them,  were 
hungering  for  salvation,  while  others  opposed  them- 
selves to  the  ''new  things. '* 

Outcropings  in  the  Meetings. 

The  revival  spirit  began  to  be  manifest  in  the 
regular  meetings.  There  was  more  vocal  prayer  and 
more  testimony,  and  much  of  it  among  a  class  of  peo- 
ple who  had  usually  not  spoken  in  meetings.  Young 
men  and  young  women  began  to  tell  what  great 
things  the  Lord  had  done  for  them,  and  many  who 
heard  them  rejoiced  at  the  "gracious  words  that  pro- 
ceeded out  of  their  mouths,"  and  took  knowledge  of 
them  that  they  had  been  with  Jesus  and  learned  of 
him. 

During  this  first  winter  of  our  work  while  I  was 
teaching  school,  there  came  an  invitation  from  a 


52  Ark  Atkinson, 

wicked  man,  who  lived  in  the  neighborhood,  that  he 
desired  we  should  hold  a  meeting  in  his  wagon  shop. 
He  had  a  large  family— I  think  ten  children— and  he 
prepared  his  shop  to  hold  the  meeting  in.  But  we 
had  no  authority  to  appoint  meetings,  so  we  laid  the 
matter  before  the  Elders  of  Concord  Meeting.  After 
carefully  considering  it,  they  thought  the  request 
might  be  granted,  and  that  we  might  hold  the  meet- 
ing, and  they  appointed  some  of  the  Elders  to  go 
with  us  to  see  that  the  meeting  was  held  to  the  *' hon- 
or of  truth."  This  man  did  not  attend  meetings  and 
he  was  a  swearing  man,  but  word  was  sent  him  that 

Ark  Atkinson, 

we  would  come  and  have  a  meeting  at  his  wagon 
shop. 

We  went  at  the  appointed  time  and  found  the 
shop  full  of  people.  Most  of  them  were  unconverted. 
Ark  Atkinson  (the  wagon  maker)  and  all  of  his  fam- 
ily were  there  to  hear  the  message  of  eternal  life. 
These  poor,  weary,  sin  sick  people  with  hungry 
hearts,  and  eyes  suffused  with  tears,  listened  eagerly 
to  the  sunple  story  of  the  cross. 

But  we  dare  not  do  more  than  just  deliver  the 
gospel  message,  or  sermon  of  exhortation,  and  pray 
God's  blessing  to  rest  upon  it,  for  the  meeting  must 
be  held  after  the  *' manner  of  Friends."  And  there 
sat  the  Elders  with  us,  who  were  to  make  their  re- 
port to  the  meeting  that  appointed  them  for  such 
service.  We  dare  not  ask  if  any  desired  our  prayers, 
neither  could  we  sing  a  hymn  without  falling  under 
censure  of  the  authorities  of  the  church,  yet  we  felt 
that  many  there  ought  to  be  saved,  but  we  could  do 
no  more  than  commend  the  people  to  God,  and  leave 
the  work  done  in  his  care  and  close  the  meeting. 

After  meeting  Atkinson  asked  if  we  would  hold 


Closing  the  Door.  53 

more  meetings  with  him,  and  said,  ''Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Frame,  I  will  arrange  my  shop  for  you  every  month 
if  you  will  come  and  hold  a  meeting  here.'' 

Closing  the  Door. 

But  when  we  laid  this  matter  before  the  Elders, 
they  thought  we  had  better  not  have  any  more  meet- 
ings, as  they  were  fearful  that  it  "might  open  a  door 
that  could  not  be  closed,"  as  they  expressed  it. 

So  poor  Ark  Atkinson  and  his  wife  and  ten  chil- 
dren were  left  to  meditate  on  what  they  had  heard  at 
the  one  meeting,  and  find  their  way  as  best  they 
could.  The  door  for  any  more  meetings  was  closed 
to  us  for  the  time.  But  we  have  heard  since  that  Ark 
Atkinson  has  been  converted  and  is  a  happy  Chris- 
tian. 

The  door  did  open  in  that  meeting  until  fearful- 
ness  of  gospel  meetings  was  swept  away,  and  one  of 
the  Elders  who  was  with  us  at  that  meeting,  and  was 
so  fearful  that  the  established  order  would  be  dis- 
turbed, is  now  a  minister  and  has  spent  much  of  his 
time  in  preaching  the  gospel,  and  holding  series  of 
meetings,  and  is  at  this  writing  a  faithful  and  de- 
voted worker  in  the  vineyard.  We  believe  in  looking 
back  now  that  it  was  best  for  us  and  the  cause  of 
Christ,  that  we  kindly  submitted  to  the  authorities 
of  the  church. 

During  this  winter  Esther  obtained  from  our 
Monthly  Meeting  (Dover)  a  minute  of  endorsement, 
to  visit  the  families  of  Dover,  Fairfield  and  West 
Grove  preparative  meetings,  and  also  the  families  of 
Concord. 

Visiting  Families. 

I  accompanied  Esther  while  she  was  visiting  the 
families  in  Concord  and  Dover  preparative  meet- 


54  Closing  the  Door. 

ings.  The  visiting  was  done  on  seventh  days,  after 
the  close  of  my  school  for  the  week,  John  and  Annie 
Haisley  taking  their  carriage  and  conveying  us  from 
house  to  house.  And  many  precious  meetings  we  had 
with  these  quiet  *'01d  Fashioned  Friends"  at  their 
homes,  and  many  times  at  our  departure  did  they 
follow  us  to  the  door  when  we  were  about  to  depart 
and  say  in  that  quiet  manner  prevalent  among 
friends  at  that  time,  **we  are  glad  you  have  been  with 
us,  and  we  hope  you  will  be  encouraged,"  though 
sometimes  we  received  reproofs  and  were  told  that 
we  were  running  ^'before  the  guide"  and  that  we 
were  offering  "strange  fire."  But  the  sweet  words 
linger  longest,  and  we  cannot  forget  the  many  times 
some  dear  father  or  mother  in  Israel  stood  in  the 
doorway  of  their  homes,  the  tears  silently  coursing 
down  their  aged  faces ;  peace  to  their  memories.  We 
shall  meet  them  in  the  many  mansioned  house  that 
Jesus  has  gone  to  prepare  for  all  who  love  him. 

There  was  a  family  in  Dover  meeting  that  we 
visited,  where  one  of  the  little  girls  was  sick,  confined 
to  her  bed.  I  asked  the  mother  what  ailed  the  child, 
and  she  told  me  that  her  daughter  had  been  sick  for 
a  long  time,  and  said  the  mother,  **we  do  not  think 
she  will  ever  be  well  again." 

Nothing  more  was  said  about  the  matter  at  that 
time.  The  other  members  of  the  family  were 
gathered  in,  and  we  had  prayer  with  them,  and  we 
were  especially  drawn  out  in  our  petitions  that  the 
dear  little  sick  girl  might  soon  be  restored  to  health 
if  it  was  the  Lord's  will;  the  child  seemed  much  af- 
fected and  sobbed  aloud,  and  we  bade  the  family 
** farewell"  and  soon  departed. 

The  following  week  we  saw  the  mother  of  the 
sick  child  and  asked  her  about  her  little  girl.  "O! 
much  better,"  remarked  the  mother,  and  she  told  me 
it  was  all  because  you  friends  prayed  for  her,  and 


God  Uses  Agencies,  55 

she  says  she  will  soon  be  well.  *'She  said  to  me," 
continued  the  mother,  ''when  Nathan  and  Esther 
were  at  our  house  and  prayed  for  me,  I  felt  like  I 
wanted  to  get  out  of  bed  and  pray  too,  and  I  am  go- 
ing to  get  well/'  Then  the  mother  remarked  further, 
"when  you  came  to  our  house  to  pray  for  us,  I 
thought  you  were  just  going  around  because  y'ou 
could,  but  now  I  think  that  was  the  de^il  in  me  that 
made  me  think  so." 

That  little  girl  was  soon  well,  and  has  grown  to 
be  a  strong,  healthy  woman,  and  we  know  that  the 
Lord's  hand  is  not  shortened  that  he  cannot  save,  nor 
his  ear  hea^y  that  he  cannot  hear.  And  while  we  are 
not  among  the  number  who  would  ignore  the  use  of 
remedies  for  the  cure  of  the  sick,  we  believe  that  in 
answer  to  the  prayer  of  faith  God  does  heal  the  sick 
— for  his  glory. 

God  Uses  Agencies. 

James,  one  of  the  New  Testament  writers  says, 
*'Elias  was  a  man  with  like  passions  as  we  are,  and 
he  prayed,  and  it  rained  not  for  the  space  of  three 
years  and  six  months,  and  he  prayed  again  and  the 
heavens  gave  rain." 

Summer  and  Spring  of  1868. 

When  my  school  had  closed  at  Concord,  we  at- 
tended our  monthly  meeting  at  West  Grove  (where 
I  joined  friends,  and  Esther's  right  of  membership 
had  been  sent ;  we  soon  after  this  had  our  rights  of 
membership  sent  to  Dover  in  New  Garden  Quarter) 
to  lay  before  our  friends  a  concern  we  had  to  ^dsit 
the  families  and  attend  the  meetings  in  Walnut 
Ridge,  and  Thorntown  Quarterly  Meetings.  We  vis- 
ited more  than  two  hundred  families  in  Thorntown 


56  Summer  and  Spring  of  1888. 

Quarterly  Meeting;  then  went  to  Walnut  Ridge, 
Rush  Co.,  Indiana,  to  do  some  gospel  work.  Re- 
mained there  until  June  6th,  when  we  started  in  com- 
pany with  two  young  friends  ( Jabez  and  Bethuel 
White)  to  Northern  Quarterly  Meeting  to  be  held  at 
**Back  Creek,"  Grant  Co.,  Indiana.  These  young 
men  mentioned  as  our  companions,  were  converted 
at  the  *' Great  Walnut  Ridge  Revival,"  the  first  one 
among  Friends  in  America,  of  which  an  account  will 
be  given  further  on. 

On  Sabbath,  June  21st,  the  meeting  was  very 
large.  The  house  was  filled  and  the  grounds  around 
the  meeting  house  were  covered  with  an  immense 
throng  of  people  anxious  to  hear  the  gospel  preached. 
Esther  stood  in  an  old  spring  wagon  under  a  great 
** beech"  tree,  and  there  were  hundreds  of  eager  list- 
eners standing  around  her  while  she  told  them  the 
*' Story  of  the  Cross,"  and  they  listened  as  if  they 
were  hearing  if  for  the  first  time.  As  her  clear,  full, 
pathetic  voice  rang  out  over  that  vast  multitude, 
tears  ran  profusely  down  the  faces  of  many.  It  re- 
minded one  of  the  accounts  given  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, where  the  people  heard  gladly. 

From  many  a  stalwart  man  there  was  heard  a 
low  sob  from  that  throng  of  listeners,  as  the  spirit 
carried  home  the  preacher's  message  to  their  hearts. 

It  was  like  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilder- 
ness, *^  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  his 
paths  straight."  Many  were  made  to  rejoice  in  a 
Saviour's  love  for  the  first  time. 

I  spoke  to  the  people  on  another  part  of  the 
ground  from  the  text,  **The  wages  of  sin  is  death,  but 
the  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life  through  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord.  Esther  spoke  again  in  the  afternoon  from 
these  words,  *^  Behold,  what  manner  of  love  the 
Father  hath  bestowed  upon  us  that  we  should  be 
called  the  Sons  of  God."    She  was  so  filled  with  the 


Visit  to  Jail  at  Anderson,  Indiana,  57 

spirit  that  she  continued  her  discourse  for  more  than 
an  hour,  a  very  unusual  thing  for  her,  and  that  audi- 
ence swayed  back  and  forth  as  the  speaker  changed 
her  position,  and  it  was  evident  that  the  same  invis- 
ible power  fell  on  this  multitude  that  fell  on  the  com- 
pany  at  the  house  of  Cornelius  when  Peter  was 
preaching.  The  Holy  Spirit  fell  on  all  them  that 
heard,  and  the  *' Baptism**  spoken  of  in  the  '* Great 
Commission"  through  the  anointed  messenger  fell  on 
the  people. 

Visit  to  the  Jail  at  Anderson,  Ind. 

On  Monday,  June  22nd,  on  our  way  back  to 
Walnut  Ridge,  we  tarried  a  day  in  Anderson  town. 
This  town  contained  about  four  thousand  inhabit- 
ants, and  the  demon  of  strong  drink  held  dominion 
over  a  large  part  of  the  people. 

We  visited  the  prisoners  in  the  jail  and  gave 
them  each  a  New  Testament  They  promised  us  they 
would  read  them.  We  then  had  meeting  with  them 
and  preached  to  them  the  word  of  life  through 
Christ,  recommended  them  to  the  mercy  of  the  Lord 
and  went  on  our  way  to  Walnut  Ridge. 

On  the  24th  of  June  we  went  to  Wayne  Co.,  Ind., 
to  attend  our  monthly  meeting  at  Dover,  where  we 
now  had  our  rights  of  membership.  We  obtained  a 
minute  to  visit  the  families  of  New  Garden  Quar- 
terly Meeting  and  Walnut  Ridge.  Our  meeting 
readily  granted  us  this  minute,  and  we  were  left  at 
liberty  to  proceed  in  the  work  as  far  as  truth  opened 
the  way. 

At  the  close  of  our  monthly  meeting  we  went  to 
Centerville  and  at  night  had  a  meeting  in  the  Court 
House.  At  this  meeting  Jacob  Julian,  a  prominent 
lawyer  of  Wayne  Co.,  took  such  an  interest  in  us  that 
he  secured  the  Court  House  and  got  two  or  three 


68     Saloon  and  Street  Meeting  at  Centerville, 

hundred  notices  of  our  meeting  printed  and  paid 
boys  to  go  over  the  town  and  distribute  them,  and 
when  our  meeting  was  over  he  took  us  to  his  home 
and  entertained  us  over  night.  '*  A  Friend  in  need," 
God  bless  him. 

Saloon  and  Street  Meeting  at  Centerville. 

Our  meeting  in  the  Court  House  was  large,  and 
the  Lord  was  with  us  in  power.  The  next  day  we  had 
a  meeting  in  a  saloon,  by  consent  of  the  saloonkeeper. 
We  then  asked  another  saloonkeeper  to  have  a  meet- 
ing in  his  saloon,  but  he  would  not  consent,  so  we  had 
a  meeting  on  the  street  in  front  of  his  saloon.  We 
also  visited  the  jail  and  gave  the  prisoners  some 
tracts,  and  as  we  had  some  business  in  Richmond  we 
went  there  in  the  evening,  remained  over  night,  and 
returned  next  morning  on  our  way  to  Walnut  Ridge, 
stopping  off  at  Centerville  to  see  the  inmates  in  the 
jail  to  whom  we  had  given  the  tracts  the  evening 
before. 

We  went  immediately  to  the  jail  upon  getting 
off  the  train,  and  obtained  permission  to  have  a  meet- 
ing with  the  prisoners.  There  were  only  four  per- 
sons in  the  jail.  One  of  them  a  son  of  the  "Emerald 
Isle"  and  a  Roman  Catholic,  the  others  were  Ameri- 
cans, young  men,  between  twenty-five  and  thirty 
years  old.  When  we  were  there  the  evening  before 
and  gave  them  the  little  tracts,  they  were  swearing, 
playing  cards,  and  were  very  boisterous.  But  as 
soon  as  the  jail  door  was  thrown  open  and  we  stepped 
into  the  corridor  and  came  in  front  of  the  iron  grated 
cell  door,  the  Irishman,  who  was  standing  close  to  the 
door,  thrust  his  great  brawny  hand  through  the 
grating  and  said,  "I'm  glad  to  say  'yez,'  and  wa've 
burned  up  all  of  our  cayrds,  and  we'll  niver  drink 
whisky  any  more,  and  we'll  be  gude,  God  bliss  yer 


Meeting  With  Prisoners,  Centerville  Jail,      59 

sowls."  "And  the  little  bucks  you  give  us  was  the 
best  radin'  that  I  iver  had  in  all  ov  me  born  days, 
God  bliss  yez,"  and  while  he  spoke  the  big  tears 
coursed  each  other  down  his  sin-scarred  and  sun- 
bronzed  face. 

The  jailer  then  opened  the  cell  door  and  we  went 
in  and  were  closed  in  with  these  men  of  crime  to  hold 
our  meeting.  One  of  them  was  lying  on  his  bunk 
and  seemed  to  take  no  notice  of  us.  We  prayed  for 
them  and  told  them  that  Jesus  came  to  seek  and  save 
the  lost  and  all  might  come  to  Him  and  be  saved. 
One  of  the  yoimg  men  was  much  affected  and  w^ept, 
but  the  one  who  was  lying  down  paid  no  attention 
until  Esther  turned  to  him  and  said,  "My  brother, 
did  thee  ever  have  a  mother  and  hear  her  pray?'' 
He  immediately  rose  to  a  sitting  posture  and  covered 
his  face  with  his  hands  and  his  tears  dropped  down 
until  the  floor  was  wet  with  them.  Then  he  said, 
* '  Oh,  yes,  I  used  to  have  a  good  Christian  mother  who 
prayed  for  me,  and  often  when  she  had  wrapped  me 
in  my  warm  blanket  and  tucked  me  in  my  bed  for  the 
night  she  would  kneel  down  by  my  bed  and  pray  for 
me. 

Meeting  With  Prisoners,  Centerville  Jail, 

"She  prayed  that  I  might  be  saved;  and  here  I 
am  in  jail.  But  long  ago  my  mother  passed  away 
and  she  is  at  rest  among  the  redeemed  and  I  have 
wandered  far  away,  and  I  am  a  great  sinner.  Oh, 
pray  for  me  that  my  mother's  prayers  may  be  ans- 
wered, if  it  is  in  a  jail!  Oh,  that  I  may  be  converted 
and  meet  my  mother  in  her  home  in  heaven!" 

And  there  in  that  jail  we  knelt  with  these  poor 
prisoners,  and  they  gave  themselves  to  God,  confess- 
ing their  sins,  saying,  "God,  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sin- 
ner;" and  God  heard  their  prayer  and  answered,  and 


60  The  Great  Physician, 

they  were  sa^ed,  and  arose  and  gave  testimony  to  the 
power  of  Christ  to  forgive  sins,  though  they  were 
like  scarlet,  or  red  like  crimson,  and  we  left  them 
saying  they  would  meet  us  in  the  land  of  eternal  rest. 

Soon  after  we  went  away  they  were  tried  for 
their  crimes  and  two  of  them  were  sentenced  to  the 
penitentiary,  one  of  them  for  two  years,  and  the 
other  one  for  a  little  longer  term.  One  of  them  came 
to  our  house  in  Richmond,  after  he  had  served  his 
term  in  the  penitentiary,  and  said  that  his  prison  had 
been  made  a  palace  to  him  for  the  Saviour  was  with 
him,  and  the  last  we  knew  of  him  he  was  a  faithful 
Christian. 

O!  this  wonderful  Gospel  of  Christ!  It  comes 
to  all,  and  all  may  be  saved  if  they  will. 

The  Great  Physician. 

We  met  the  other  man  who  was  converted  in 
Centerville  jail  at  Cambridge  City,  Indiana,  after  he 
had  served  his  term  in  the  penitentiary.  He  told  us 
he  was  still  happy  in  Christ,  was  then  at  work  and 
getting  good  wages;  and,  said  he,  *'I  want  to  thank 
you  that  the  Lord  ever  sent  you  to  *old  Centerville' 
jail  to  pray  for  us  poor  sinners  and  point  us  to 
Jesus." 

Walnut  Ridge  Revival. 

We  cannot  pass  on  without  giving  a  little  ac- 
count of  the  first  and  very  remarkable  meeting  that 
ever  occurred  among  Friends  in  America.  This 
meeting  had  just  closed  previous  to  the  time  that  we 
went  there  to  visit  families. 

This  revival  did  not  commence  in  Friends  meet- 
ing house  but  in  a  little  meeting,  or  school  house  two 
or  three  miles  away  from  Walnut  Ridge,  and  was 


Great  Revival  at  Walnut  Ridge,  61 

removed  to  the  Friends  meeting-liouse  because  there 
was  not  room  for  the  people  at  the  small  house. 

From  the  beginning,  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  came 
mightily  upon  the  people,  so  that  there  was  not  room 
for  the  sinners  that  were  convicted  at  the  seekers' 
bench,  but  all  over  the  house  they  broke  down  and 
cried  for  mercy,  and  those  who  were  converted  im- 
mediately gathered  around  their  unconverted  friends 
and  besought  them  with  tears  and  strong  entreaties 
to  surrender  to  God  and  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come. 

The  most  intense  excitement  prevailed  in  many 
of  the  meetings,  and  remarkable  demonstrations; 
some  fell,  almost  like  dead  people,  while  others 
cried  aloud  for  mercy;  and  some  were  rapturously 
and  ecstatically  happy.  The  conviction  spread  in 
the  country  for  a  number  of  miles,  and  the  whole 
theme  of  the  neighborhood  was  religion  and  the 
demonstrations  at  the  Quaker  meeting. 

Great  Revival  at  Walnut  Ridge. 

As  the  meetings  progressed  there  was  a  strong 
opposition  developed  among  a  large  number  of  the 
elderly  and  influential  Friends  and  they  attempted 
to  suppress  the  demonstrations  and  bring  the  chaotic 
elements  into  order,  but  this  they  found  was  a  hercu- 
lean task.  There  were  many  more  in  favor  of  the 
revival  meetings  than  against  them,  among  whom 
were  elders  and  ministers,  those  who  were  men  and 
women  of  piety  and  deep  spiritual  discernment,  and 
while  there  were  many  things  occuring  in  the  meet- 
ings that  were  strange  and  new  to  them,  it  was  so  evi- 
dent that  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  was  at  work  among 
the  people  that  they  dare  not  lay  their  hands  on  it  to 
oppose  it,  but  gave  their  presence  and  prayers  and 
sought  to  guide  the  spirit  of  ranterism  that  was  evi- 
dently taking  deep  hold  on  some  in  the  meetings. 


62  Great  Revival  at  Walnut  Ridge, 

Young  men  and  young  women  who  had  been  indiffer- 
ent to  the  claims  of  religion  were  converted  by  the 
score;  whole  families  gave  themselves  to  the  Lord; 
the  religious  zeal  of  the  people  became  epidemic  and 
all  the  "Lord's  people  became  prophets,"  and  spake 
with  an  unction  and  eloquence  that  surprised  all  who 
heard,  for  with  **  grace  did  they  magnify  and  praise 
the  Lord." 

We  have  not  attempted  to  give  incidents,  but  we 
having  been  at  Walnut  Eidge  soon  after  the  series 
of  meetings  had  closed,  and  being  personally  ac- 
quainted with  all  the  principal  actors  who  took  a 
prominent  part  in  the  meetings  we  sketch  from  mem- 
ory. 

We  attended  Walnut  Ridge  quarterly  meeting 
and  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  quite  a  number  who 
were  converted  at  the  ''great  revival,"  and  they  are 
still  faithful  and  earnest  Christians,  and  after  the 
lapse  of  more  than  twenty  years  there  are  scores 
still  living  to  bear  witness  to  the  power  of  God  that 
saved  them  then  and  has  preserved  them  through  all 
the  conflicts  and  trials  of  life  since.  Though  many 
have  passed  on  to  their  everlasting  rest,  judged  by  its 
fruits  in  permanent  results  for  good,  in  the  light  of 
the  present,  when  the  mists  and  clouds  have  cleared 
away,  it  must  be  conceded  by  all  impartial  observers 
that  this  revival  was  the  result  of  a  most  remarkable 
manifestation  of  God's  Holy  Spirit  among  the  peo- 
ple calling  them  to  repentance. 

The  evil  that  resulted  to  some  of  those  who  took 
part  in  it  was  largely  caused  by  people  in  the  church, 
with  good  intentions,  but  little  knowldege  of  spiritual 
things  and  less  knowledge  of  revivals,  who  with  im- 
sanctified  hands  undertook  to  "Steady  the  Ark." 

With  the  experience  of  the  past  before  us  we 
should  now  rejoice  to  see  the  spirit  of  God  among  us 
as  then. 


Jaxe  Joxes. 


Some  Workers  at  Walnut  Ridge,  63 


Some  Workers  at  Walnut  Ridge, 

Jane  Jones  may  honorably  claim  to  have  been 
the  first  minister  m  the  Society  of  Friends  in 
America,  in  later  times  prominently  associated  with 
^HJie  first  series  of  revival  meetings  among  Friends/' 
though  she  was  not  responsible,  so  far  as  appears, 
for  the  ranterism  that  occurred  in  the  meetings 
among  the  few  who  were  led  away  by  this  error. 
While  this  dear  devoted  minister  of  the  Lord  stood 
by  the  work  in  the  midst  of  the  severe  criticism  that 
came  upon  her  from  many  sources,  she  counseled 
moderation  and  forbearance  among  all,  and  had  her 
counsel  been  heeded  many  more  precious  souls  would 
have  been  saved  that  were  not.  Nicajah  C.  Binford 
and  Susanah  Binford,  prominent  elders  and  devoted, 
spiritually  minded  servants  of  the  Lord,  were  per- 
sonally connected  with  this  revival  and  most  earnest 
workers  in  it  and  were  those  to  whom  the  younger 
Friends  especially  went  for  counsel  and  help.  It  is 
due  them  to  say:  *' Blessed  are  the  peacemakers,  for 
they  shall  be  called  the  children  of  God." 

But  I  must  leave  to  the  historian  to  give  a  more 
minute  account  of  the  work  and  the  workers.  This 
revival  was  but  the  first  outburst  of  the  smoldering 
fires  that  had  been  kindled  by  the  faithful  ministers 
and  workers  who  had  gone  before. 


64  Trials. 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Trials, 

Now,  having  completed  our  visit  to  Grant  and 
Rush  counties,  Indiana,  we  began  to  turn  our  minds 
to  our  friends  and  home  in  Iowa,  from  whom  we  had 
been  absent  about  one  year  and  six  months. 

We  began  to  make  preparations  for  our  jour- 
ney, but  while  thus  engaged  there  was  at  times  heard 
by  us  a  voice  deep  down  in  the  soul  telling  us  that 
there  was  more  work  for  us  to  do  in  the  vineyard  of 
the  Lord  at  Chester,  Wayne  County,  Indiana.  Daily 
these  impressions  became  stronger,  so  that  in  consul- 
tation with  each  other  we  thought  best  that  I  should 
make  application  for  the  public  school  at  Chester. 
My  name,  with  other  applicants,  was  placed  before 
the  Board  of  Directors.  I  was  not  given  the  school, 
one  of  the  board  taking  a  prominent  part  against  me 
because  I  was  a  preacher.  He  said  there  were  too 
many  preachers  in  the  community  now.  This  man 
was  an  infidel  and  a  scoffer  at  Christianity.  Upon 
receiving  this  news  we  felt  now  we  might  return  to 
Iowa,  as  the  way  at  Chester  was  closed.  We  could 
not  live  without  means  of  support.  All  our  house- 
hold goods  were  in  Iowa  and  we  did  not  yet  feel  free 
to  have  them  shipped  to  us,  as  it  was  so  uncertain 
about  our  remaining  but  a  very  short  time  at  any  one 
place. 

We  were  not  recorded  ministers,  and  if  we  had 
been,  Friends  made  no  provision  at  this  time  for  the 
support  of  their  ministers,  except  sometimes  to  pay 
their  traveling  expenses  from  one  meeting  to  another 
when  they  were  liberated  by  their  meetings  for  some 
special  work  away  from  home  and  the  ministers  were 
not  able  to  pay  their  own  expenses  in  traveling. 


Trials.  65 

We  had  spent  all  the  money  I  had  received  for 
my  previous  winter's  school  and  some  of  what  we 
had  sold  the  little  home  for,  so  we  now  finished  our 
preparations  for  our  journey  to  Iowa.  The  day  be- 
fore we  were  to  start  I  received  a  letter  from  a  friend 
at  Chester  informing  me  that  there  w^as  another 
school  in  the  vicinity  of  Chester  and  that  it  had  been 
decided  that  I  could  have  it  at  fifty  dollars  a  month. 

The  Lord  had  unexpectedly  opened  the  way  and 
I  went  to  Chester  immediately  and  made  a  contract 
to  teach  a  four  months'  school.  But  now  a  new  diffi- 
culty presented  itself ;  houses  were  scarce  and  there 
was  no  John  and  Anna  Haisley  there  to  offer  us  a 
home.  The  house  that  had  been  promised  me  was 
rented  to  someone  else.  But  the  Lord  never  for- 
sakes. He  put  it  into  the  mind  of  Pennington 
Harris,  a  yoimg  friend,  to  offer  us  a  couple  of  rooms 
in  a  house  occupied  by  himself  and  wife,  and  much 
nearer  the  school  than  the  one  I  had  before  rented. 

Having  secured  a  house  and  taken  a  school,  our 
next  concern  was  to  secure  a  few  articles  of  furniture 
for  housekeeping  and  some  cooking  utensils.  But 
how  this  was  to  be  accomplished  we  did  not  know,  as 
all  our  goods  were  in  Iowa  and  we  had  no  liberty  to 
order  them  sent  and  we  did  not  dare  to  attempt  to 
buy.  Neither  could  we  think  of  boarding  the  whole 
family  (four  of  us),  for  the  board  alone  would  cost 
nearly  as  much  as  all  my  wages  would  bring. 

One  or  two  friends,  members  of  the  meeting  at 
Chester,  suggested  that  perhaps  '^Friends''  at  Ches- 
ter might  be  willing  to  let  us  have  a  few  articles  of 
household  goods  during  the  term  of  my  school,  and 
to  this  proposition  we  consented. 

Malissa  Miles  undertook  to  collect  such  articles 
of  household  goods  as  friends  were  willing  to  let  us 
have  for  the  three  or  four  months  we  should  remain 
at  Chester. 


66  Second  Visit  to  Andersontotvn. 

It  was  fully  a  month  before  my  school  would  be 
opened,  so  while  this  Christian  woman  would  be  col- 
lecting the  household  goods  we  went  to  Anderson- 
town,  Indiana,  to  do  some  gospel  work  and  visit  the 
prisoners  in  the  jail,  where  we  had  been  the  previous 
summer. 

We  left  our  little  girls— mere  babies— in  care  of 
Malissa  Miles  and  her  sister,  who  resided  with  her 
father  a  short  distance  from  Chester  meeting,  who 
tenderly  cared  for  them. 

Second  Visit  to  Andersontown. 

We  had  no  personal  acquaintances  at  Anderson- 
town,  so  we  went  to  the  hotel,  found  the  proprietor 
to  be  a  very  kind  man  but  a  very  ungodly,  swearing 
man.  When  we  had  secured  a  good  room  and  eaten 
our  dinner  we  informed  our  landlord  that  we  were 
Christians  and  belonged  to  the  Quakers,  or  Society 
of  Friends,  we  were  not  yet  recorded  ministers,  and 
that  our  business  there  was  to  visit  religiously  the 
prisoners  in  the  jail  and  also  hold  some  meetings  on 
the  streets.  He  said  it  would  do  no  good  to  visit  the 
prisoners  in  the  jail,  for  one  of  them  was  a  murderer 
and  two  of  them  were  horse  thieves,  "and  as  for  hold- 
ing a  gospel  meeting  on  the  streets  of  Anderson- 
town,  ' '  he  said,  *  *  it  could  not  be  done. ' '  We  told  him 
the  Lord  would  be  with  us.  Then  we  went  to  see  the 
jailer  and  made  known  to  him  our  mission  and  he 
gave  his  consent  for  us  to  have  a  meeting  in  the  jail 
with  the  prisoners,  which  we  did  to  good  satisfaction 
to  ourselves  and  to  the  comfort  of  the  prisoners  as 
far  as  we  could  tell.  Before  we  left  we  made  another 
appointment  with  them  for  next  day,  and  we  then 
returned  to  our  hotel.  We  remained  quietly  at  our 
hotel  imtil  the  time  for  the  meeting  the  next  day,  and 
we  prayed  that  God  would  be  with  us  in  our  work  on 
the  morrow. 


Meeting  at  the  Jail.  67 

At  the  meeting  we  had  already  held  at  the  jail  a 
good  many  people  had  been  attracted  by  curiosity 
and  had  come  and  stood  around  the  jail  listening  and 
looking  on  curiously,  and  it  began  to  be  kno^vn 
among  some  of  them  that  two  Quakers  had  ''come  to 
town"  and  had  held  a  "meetin'  "  in  the  jail,  which 
created  much  excitement  among  the  people  to  see  us, 
especially  when  it  was  known  that  one  of  "the  Qua- 
kers" was  a  woman. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  jail  next  day  we  found 
a  large  munber  of  people  in  the  jail  yard  and  stand- 
ing in  front  of  the  entrance  leading  to  the  jail  door. 
They  had  come  to  see  the  Quakers  and  hear  what 
they  had  to  say,  and  especially  to  see  and  hear  the 
Quaker  woman.  When  the  jail  door  was  opened  the 
men  inside  were  standing  close  to  the  iron  grating 
and  they  thrust  their  hands  through  to  shake  hands 
with  us  and  said:    "We  are  glad  you  have  come." 

Meeting  at  the  Jail, 

The  meeting  was  a  very  good  one.  The  power 
of  the  Lord  was  wonderfully  made  known  among  the 
prisoners.  Those  hardened  men  wept  like  children 
and  pleaded  with  us  to  remain  one  more  day,  saying, 
"None  will  pray  for  us  when  you  are  gone;  please 
stay  and  pray  for  us;  we  are  great  sinners." 

The  jail  corridor  and  the  steps  leading  up  to  the 
door  and  the  jail  yard  below  were  thronged  with  peo- 
ple, a  mixed  company— lawyers,  physicians,  mer- 
chants, farmers,  section  men  from  the  railroad, 
Christians  and  infidels,— and,  as  we  poured  out  our 
souls  to  God  in  prayer,  that  He  would  save  these  poor 
men  in  the  jail,  as  we  exhorted  them,  and  told  them 
of  Christ  who  died  for  them,  and  all  men  and  that 
they  might  believe  in  Him  now  and  be  saved,  the 
throng  of  listeners  outside  were  moved  and  swayed 


68  Street  Meeting  at  Andersontown. 

by  the  spirit  carrying  the  message  to  their  hearts 
and  tears  coursed  their  way  down  many  a  sun- 
bronzed  face,  and  those  who  came  to  scoff  were  awed 
into  silence.  God  was  keeping  order.  At  the  close 
of  the  meeting  the  old  rough  jailer  came  to  us  and 
offered  us  a  home  at  his  house  as  long  as  we  desired 
to  remain. 

In  the  afternoon  we  held  a  meeting  on  the  street. 
There  was  a  little  public  square  in  the  center  of  the 
town,  and  near  one  side  of  this  square  was  a  stand 
imder  some  shade  trees.  This  stand  was  used  as  a 
place  for  political  campaign  speakers. 

Street  Meeting  at  Andersontown. 

We  went  into  this  stand  and  Esther  sat  down. 
There  were  a  few  people  near  by  and  I  began  speak- 
ing about  some  commonplace  topics  to  attract  atten- 
tion of  those  who  were  passing  along  the  streets,  and 
soon  the  people  began  to  assemble  around  us,  and 
when  a  sufficient  number  had  come  to  make  a  respec- 
table audience  I  announced  to  them  that  there  was  a 
lady  there  that  would  preach  to  them. 

There  was  a  large  number  of  people  in  the  town 
that  day  from  the  country ;  it  was  Saturday  and  the 
farmers  and  their  families  came  to  do  their  trading 
in  merchandise  and  buy  their  groceries. 

Esther  preached  to  them  with  a  power  that  held 
that  company  of  men  and  women  of  all  grades  of 
society  perfectly  entranced.  It  was  a  new  and 
strange  thing  for  a  Quaker  woman  to  preach,  and 
especially  on  the  street.  Her  message  to  them  was 
a  most  wonderful  one,  and  before  the  sermon  was 
ended  there  was  as  many  as  five  hundred  gathered 
at  that  street  meeting,  and  they  stood  there  quietly 
the  full  two  hours  that  the  meeting  lasted,  and  all 
that  time  there  was  perfect  order  and  quiet  reigned. 


We  Begin  Housekeeping  at  Chester.  69 

When  we  closed  the  meeting,  instead  of  mobbing  us, 
as  the  hotel  keeper  had  said,  many  of  those  hardened 
men  came  up  and  shook  us  by  the  hand  and  said: 
*'God  sent  you  here;  we  are  glad  you  came.'*  And 
when  we  were  about  to  go  away  from  the  hotel,  to 
accept  the  invitation  of  the  jailer,  a  swearing  man 
said :    *  *  Stay  here  and  I  will  pay  your  bill. ' ' 

We  Begirt  Housekeeping  at  Chester, 

When  we  returned  from  Andersontown  to  Ches- 
ter we  found  at  our  rooms  the  articles  of  household 
goods  that  Miss  Miles  had  been  fortunate  enough 
to  collect  for  us  to  begin  housekeeping  with  for  the 
winter.  There  were  three  common  wooden  chairs, 
one  splint  bottom  chair,  one-half  dozen  common 
white  cups  and  saucers  and  four  plates,  six  knives 
and  six  forks  and  a  few  iron  spoons  and  a  good  old- 
fashioned  two-leaved  table,  only  it  had  but  three  legs, 
but  we  got  it  a  new  one  made  and  then  it  had  four. 
Malissa  Miles,  who  collected  the  goods  for  us  from 
the  different  families  of  Friends,  loaned  us  a  good 
feather  bed.  We  still  lacked  a  cupboard  for  our 
dishes,  but  I  soon  ** converted"  a  dry  goods  box  into 
a  *'dish  holder"  and  we  put  a  little  calico  curtain  in 
front  of  it  to  hide  the  dishes  from  view  and  gave  a 
little  finish  to  it  to  cover  the  rough  box.  I  said  we 
had  two  rooms,  but  one  of  them  was  an  *^ attic"  and 
could  not  be  used  by  us  for  the  reason  that  it  was  not 
large  enough  to  put  our  one  bed  in,  and  we  had  noth- 
ing else  to  put  in  it.  Though  we  told  the  little  girls 
it  was  our  room,  and  sometimes  when  the  days  were 
warm  they  would  play  in  it.  Our  one  room  was  par- 
lor, sitting-room,  kitchen,  bed-room  and  all. 

Housekeeping  at  Chester. 

There  was  no  going  from  one  room  to  another. 
Books,  we  had  none,  only  our  Bibles.    We  could  find 


70  Winter  at  Chester. 

all  the  things  we  wanted  in  the  one  room— that  is, 
what  there  was  of  them  to  find. 

Pennington  Harris  had  loaned  us  a  little  cook- 
ing stove  and  this  answered  the  double  purpose  of 
heater  and  for  cooking.  Don't  imagine  for  a  mo- 
ment that  we  were  unhappy;  we  were  not,  though 
much  inconvenienced. 

We  were  at  that  time  very  thankful  that  the 
Lord  had  opened  the  way  for  us  to  work  for  souls 
and  that  friends  had  provided  us  with  the  few 
articles  of  furniture  for  housekeeping.  We  built  an 
altar  unto  the  Lord  in  that  little  room,  and  sweet  in- 
cense ascended  from  it.  The  warm  simshine  of  love 
filled  the  room,  the  joyous  prattle  of  our  children 
rang  out,  as  only  the  silvery  laughter  of  innocent 
children  can.  The  peace  of  God  rested  upon  us  and 
the  work  we  were  doing  and  we  could  praise  the  Lord 
and  say,  '* There  is  no  joy  like  the  joys  of  God's  sal- 
vation." 

Winter  at  Chester. 

And  thus  we  commenced  the  winter  campaign. 
The  expectation  that  we  cherished  of  meeting  with 
dear  friends,  giving  our  embraces  and  smiles, 
to  father  and  mother  and  brothers  and  sisters,  rested 
on  our  memories  like  half -forgotten  dreams,  as  we 
turned  away  and  entered  into  the  new  field  of  labor 
for  the  Lord. 

The  spring-time  flowers  had  faded  and  the  glory 
of  the  summer  had  departed ;  the  gold,  the  russet  and 
the  scarlet-colored  robes  of  autumn  had  been 
stripped  from  the  forests,  the  sere  and  withered  leaf 
and  "faded  beauties"  greeted  the  vision  everywhere, 
as  we  looked  over  valley  and  hill;  and  the  wind 
moaned  through  the  bare  branches  of  the  trees,  all 
leafless  now.    Nature  had  put  off  her  worn-out  dress, 


Death  of  Minnie  Hiatt.  71 

to  be  shrouded  in  the  cold  white  robes  of  the  snow. 

Chester  Meeting  of  Friends  is  a  little  more  than 
three  miles  north  of  Richmond.  This  was  to  be  our 
meeting  for  the  winter,  and  we  knew  there  were  some 
trials  to  be  endured,  but  we  must  be  good  soldiers  and 
trust  in  the  Lord. 

There  was  a  touching  incident  occurred  a  short 
time  after  we  came  to  Chester  and  settled  in  our  new 
home. 

Death  of  Minnie  Hiatt, 

The  School  Director  I  have  mentioned  who  did 
not  want  any  more  ministers  in  his  community  and 
rejected  me  as  teacher  on  that  account  soon  met  with 
the  sad  loss  of  his  little  daughter,  a  lovely  child  of 
eight  summers,  a  sweet  little  Christian  girl. 

Though  we  were  not  acquainted  with  the  family 
at  that  time,  or  of  this  man's  aversion  to  preachers, 
we  felt  that  we  ought  to  attend  the  funeral  of  this 
little  saint  of  God.  The  funeral  was  to  take  place  at 
her  own  home.  There  had  been  no  one  called  to  hold 
a  religious  meeting,  only  some  of  the  immediate 
friends  of  the  family  and  relatives  and  neighbors  liv- 
ing near  by  came  in  to  pay  their  respects  to  the  little 
darling  that  was  so  soon  to  be  laid  away 

There  being  no  one  but  Esther  and  myself  there 
who  were  in  the  habit  of  taking  any  part  in  religious 
ceremonies  on  such  occasions,  I  was  invited  to  read 
a  portion  of  scripture,  and  having  finished  my  read- 
ing Esther  felt  impressed  to  kneel  and  offer  prayer 
for  the  father  and  mother  of  the  child,  that  their 
great  loss  might  be  blessed  to  their  good  and  be  the 
means  of  bringing  them  to  Christ.  Though  she 
knew  nothing  of  their  spiritual  condition  outwardly, 
she  was  enabled  to  bring  their  needs  so  before  the 
Lord  that  the  meeting  was  blessed  to  their  good. 


72  Old  Friends. 


The  Old  Friends, 

Thus  through  prayer  and  the  enlightening  power 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  conviction  came  upon  this  man, 
and,  like  the  jailer  at  Philipi,  he  cried  out,  ''What 
must  I  do  to  be  saved?"  And  the  answer  was  given, 
"Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  thou  shalt  be 
saved." 

The  Lord  was  giving  us  victory  and  opening  the 
way  before  us  and  we  soon  saw  him  sitting  at  the 
Master's  feet  clothed  and  in  his  right  mind. 

We  shall  always  keep  in  mind  the  first  meeting 
we  attended  at  Chester.  It  was  on  Sabbath,  many  of 
the  friends  there  being  slightly  acquainted  with  us, 
having  met  us  at  New  Garden  Quarterly  and  other 
meetings.  We  were  offered  no  seat  where  public 
speakers  are  usually  seated,  but  sat  in  the  body  of  the 
meeting  facing  the  long  ranks  of  elderly  men  and 
women  ''Friends"  in  the  high  seats.  Motionless 
they  were,  with  broad-brimmed  hats  and  plain  silk 
bonnets,  looking  like  carved  statuary,  with  very 
solemn  faces  and  rigidly  stern,  dressed  in  drab.  The 
men's  hats  were  pulled  far  down  over  their  fore- 
heads. There  was  an  "awful  solemn  silence j"  a 
silence  full  of  awe.  It  sometimes  seemed  w^e  had  left 
the  abodes  of  the  living  and  that  we  sat  facing  the 
ghastly  shadows  of  a  meeting,  that  used  to  he,  and 
these  that  we  saw  had  come  into  the  old  meeting- 
house from  the  little  cemetery  out  under  the  beech 
and  elm  trees  near  by.  But  underneath  this  quiet 
exterior  the  spirit  of  God  was  doing  His  work  upon 
many  of  their  hearts.  As  we  glanced  along  that  still 
quiet-faced  company,  we  could  occasionally  see  a 
tear  stealing  from  the  eye  and  now  and  then  catch  a 
sunlight  gleam  of  joy,  lighting  up  the  face  of  some 
devoted  mother  to  whom  the  spirit  was  applying  the 


Meeting  at  Chester  Revived,  73 

wonderful  words  of  life,  "Come  unto  me  and  I  will 
give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke  upon  you  and  learn  of 
me,  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart,  and  ye  shall 
find  rest  to  your  souls." 

These  dear  old  "Friends"  occasionally  glanced 
at  us,  "the  newcomers,"  in  a  kind  of  inquiring  man- 
ner, for  it  seemed  strange  to  them,  these  old-time 
quiet  friends,  that  such  young  people  as  we  were, 
should  leave  all  our  former  religious  associations 
and  come  among  them. 

Dear  old  fathers  and  mothers  in  Israel,  many  of 
them  there  are  who  lived  holy  and  blameless  lives, 
but  most  of  them  at  this  writing  have  gone  to  their 
reward,  and  the  memory  of  the  good  they  did  comes 
back  over  the  years  with  richest  perfume  for  these 
had  been  with  Jesus  and  learned  of  Him. 

Meeting  at  Chester  Revived. 

The  little  meeting  house  at  Chester,  filled  to 
overflowing,  and  many  of  the  yoimger  people  who 
had  gone  away  to  other  meetings  came  back  and  were 
converted.  And  the  fear  that  we  would  ruin  the 
meeting  by  too  much  enthusiasm  died  away  and  the 
Lord  wonderfully  blessed  the  meetings  we  held  and 
attended.  I  taught  school  five  days  in  the  week  and 
Esther  attended  to  the  household  affairs  and  took 
care  of  the  children.  Then  on  Saturday  and  Sab- 
bath days  we  often  attended  meetings  near  by, 
visited  families,  and  did  some  personal  work  among 
a  class  who  were  far  awaj^  from  the  Saviour.  How 
sweet  the  memory  of  the  work  done  for  humanity  in 
the  name  of  Christ  and  for  love  to  Him. 

During  our  stay  at  Chester  we  received  much 
word  kindness  from  friends  in  addition  to  the  ar- 
ticles mentioned  of  furniture  and  household  goods 
they  loaned  to  us  for  the  winter. 


74  Some  Personal  Friends, 


Some  Personal  Friends, 

We  had  now  been  members  of  the  Society  of 
Friends  for  two  years,  Esther  nearly  three  years. 
We  at  first  had  our  membership  at  West  Grove,  a 
branch  of  White  Water  Quarterly  meeting,  but  soon 
had  them  transferred  to  Dover,  a  branch  of  New 
Garden  Quarter  in  order  to  have  our  membership 
near  my  school. 

Jehu  Jessup  was  the  principal  minister  at  Dover 
meeting;  he  was  a  devoted  Christian,  a  good 
preacher,  and  although  a  son  of  ''Thunder"  at  times, 
he  was  also  a  son  of  ''Consolation."  We  foimd  in 
him  a  warm  personal  friend,  ever  ready  to  sympa- 
thize with  and  help  us. 

Those  who  are  not  familiar  with  Friends  Church 
at  the  time  of  which  I  write  have  little  conception  of 
the  difficulty  under  which  we  labored.  We  could  not 
appoint  a  meeting  without  violating  the  discipline,  as 
we  were  not  recorded  ministers,  and  though  the  large 
majority  of  ministers  and  elders  in  the  church  had 
full  unity  with  us  and  our  work.  They  were  "con- 
servative" and  thought  there  was  no  need  of  haste  to 
record  us  as  ministers.  But  the  Lord  made  the  way 
for  us  and  raised  up  dear  friends  to  stand  by  us  "ontil 
we  were  acknowledged  as  ministers. 

Anna  and  John  Eaisley. 

There  will  be  no  more  suitable  place  to  pay  a 
passing  tribute  to  the  memory  of  our  dear  friends, 
John  and  Anna  Haisley,  than  the  present. 

John  and  Anna  were  devoted  Christians  and  had 
been  trained  in  the  simple  life  of  the  old-time 
Friends,  and  their  whole  lives  had  been  spent  in  the 
bosom  of  their  own  church. 


Anna  and  John  Haisley,  75 

John  was  one  of  nature's  noblemen,  without 
hypocrisy,  a  guileless  man,  the  sunlight  of  honesty 
shining  from  his  face  and  beaming  from  his  mild 
blue  eyes ;  his  heart  was  full  of  sjrmpathy  and  love, 
where  grace  divine  had  done  its  work,  and  he  was 
ready  for  both  sacrifice  and  service. 

Anna,  the  wife  of  John,  was  a  true  '^Mother  in 
Israel,"  who  wept  with  those  who  wept  and  rejoiced 
with  those  who  did  rejoice;  the  touch  of  her  hand 
was  soothing  to  the  sick  and  her  great  dreamy  eyes 
had  a  far-away  spiritual  look  in  them  that  told  she 
saw  some  of  the  beauties  of  the  heavenly  world  and 
was  only  waiting  for  her  time  to  come  when  she  would 
enter  the  city,  whose  streets  are  paved  with  pure 
gold. 

Great  Revival  at  Richmond. 

During  the  winter  of  18—,  and  before  the  close 
of  my  school  at  Chester  we  visited  Richmond  and 
attended  some  cottage  meetings.  There  was  an 
earnest  inquiry  among  the  people,  and  it  was  evident 
that  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  was  visiting  them  and  the 
way  was  being  prepared  for  a  great  revival. 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  had 
been  holding  cottage  meetings  in  different  parts  of 
the  city  and  there  was  a  larger  attendance  than  usual 
at  the  prayer  meetings.  Some  of  our  friends  who 
attended  these  cottage  meetings  informed  us  that  the 
Grace  M.  E.  Church  had  commenced  a  protracted 
meeting  and  that  a  revival  had  began  there  and  they 
urged  us  to  appoint  some  meetings  at  Fifth  Street 
Friends  meeting  house,  which  we  finally  did,  going 
from  Chester,  four  miles,  after  my  school  closed  in 
the  evening  and  returning  the  same  night  after  the 
meetings.  Then  when  Friday  came  remaining  until 
Monday  morning.     These  meetings  were  held  in  fhe 


76  Great  Revival  at  Richmond, 

lecture  room  of  Fifth  Street  meeting  house  and  the 
first  of  the  kind  ever  held  in  a  Friends  meeting  house 
in  Richmond,  and  here  commenced  the  great  revival 
among  Friends  in  Richmond. 

On  Sabbath  while  we  were  there  we  attended  the 
regular  meetings  in  the  audience  room.  These  meet- 
ings had  begun  to  attract  much  attention  in  the  city, 
as  no  meetings  of  a  similar  character  had  been  held 
in  Friends  meeting  house  except  the  one  previously 
mentioned  at  Walnut  Ridge. 

A\'Tien  we  appointed  these  meetings  at  Fifth 
Street  it  seemed  to  be  the  guiding  hand  of  the  Lord, 
as  there  was  no  intention  on  our  part  to  hold  a 
series  of  meetings,  but  just  to  appoint  a  meeting  from 
night  to  night,  as  the  spirit  led  us,  with  the  co-opera- 
tion of  some  friends  who  had  attended  some  of  the 
cottage  meetings. 

After  these  meetings  had  continued  about  two 
weeks  Charles  F.  Coffin,  who  had  been  East  on  busi- 
ness, came  home,  and  as  he  was  the  principal  min- 
ister at  Fifth  Street,  and  one  of  the  most  influen- 
tial and  liberal  Friends  in  Indiana  yearly  meeting 
in  this  kind  of  work,  he  assumed  as  a  natural  conse- 
quence the  control  of  the  meetings. 

By  this  time  the  house  was  being  crowded 
nightly.  As  my  school  still  claimed  my  attention 
and  Charles  Coffin  had  taken  the  place  of  leader, 
Esther  and  myself  not  being  recorded  ministers, 
dropped  out  and  only  attended  occasionally. 

The  revival  spirit  now  began  to  pervade  all  the 
churches,  and  series  of  meetings  were  held  simul- 
taneously in  a  number  of  places  and  all  of  them 
crowded  to  their  full  capacity  with  an  eager  throng 
of  devout  worshipers,  and  many  seekers  nightly 
consecrated  themselves  to  the  Lord.  There  was  not 
much  preaching  at  Fifth  Street  Friends  meeting, 
though  this  meeting  continued  to  be  the  center  of 


FniENDts    Meetinghouse.  Richmond,  Ind, 


Great  Revival  at  Richmond.  77 

attraction.  These  meetings  were  usually  opened 
with  scriptural  reading  by  C.  F.  Coffin  or  some  other 
Friend  minister,  then  any  one  who  was  moved  by  the 
spirit  could  give  a  short  exhortation  and  explain 
some  text  of  scripture,  give  testimony,  offer  vocal 
supplication  and  a  few  times  there  was  a  verse  or  two 
of  a  hynm  sung. 

Great  care  was  taken  not  to  allow  long  speeches. 
When  the  exercises  mentioned  had  occupied  from 
forty  minutes  to  an  hour  then  the  moderator,  or 
leader,  would  suggest  that  the  unconverted  be  invited 
forward  for  prayer,  and  this  came  to  mean  that  all 
the  Christian  people  go  out  in  the  congregation  and 
converse  with  the  unconverted  and  persuade  them  to 
come  forward  for  prayer,  or  talk  to  and  pray  with 
them  at  their  seats,  if  thej^  could  not  be  induced  to 
come  forward.  The  working  force  was  only  limited 
by  the  number  of  Christians  present,  and  conviction 
seemed  to  seize  all  sinners  who  came  to  the  meetings. 

While  this  tidal  wave  of  salvation  was  sweeping 
over  the  city  we  were  at  many  of  the  meetings.  And 
though  a  series  of  meetings  might  close  at  some  one 
of  the  churches,  it  would  only  give  new  impetus  to 
the  work  at  some  other  point ;  it  was  not  possible  to 
make  an  estimate  of  the  number  of  converts,  for  the 
meetings  continued  in  the  city  for  more  than  six 
months  at  some  points. 

There  were  many  meetings  held  on  the  streets, 
where  the  gospel  was  preached  with  great  power,  and 
many  were  converted. 

At  the  market  house  there  were  meetings  held 
during  most  of  the  summer,  and  eternity  will  only 
reveal  the  good  that  was  accomplished.  The  ques- 
tion may  be  asked,  Did  not  many  go  back  when  the 
excitement  had  abated?  Certainly  some  did,  but 
hundreds  remained  steadfast,  and  at  this  time  there 


78  Great  Revival  at  Richmond. 

are  many  who  were  converted  who  are  earnest  and 
devoted  Christians  now. 

I  quote  a  little  from  a  letter  to  father  and 
mother,  written  at  the  close  of  the  revival:  "There 
has  been  a  very  remarkable  revival  in  Richmond  for 
the  past  five  or  six  months  and  we  have  been  engaged 
in  it  more  or  less  most  of  the  time,  going  from  meet- 
ing to  meeting.  Last  Sabbath  we  had  three  meetings 
at  Hagerstown  (sixteen  miles  from  Richmond),  one 
at  the  Methodist  and  one  at  the  Presbjrterian  meet- 
ing house  and  one  meeting  on  the  street." 

There  are  many  meetings  we  attended  and  held 
that  must  necessarily  be  passed  by  in  these  reminis- 
cences. I  quote  here  a  letter  clipped  from  the  Cin- 
cinnati Gazette  of  May  24,  18—  : 

*'Our  city  (Richmond)  still  continues  to  be  the 
theatre  of  an  unusual  excitement  on  the  subject  of 
religion.  The  crowds  that  attend  each  evening  at 
the  different  places  of  worship  are  on  the  increase. 
The  feeling  is  deepening  until  it  has  become  epi- 
demic. Grace  Church  has  commenced  meeting  for 
one  hour  each  morning  at  five  o'clock  in  addition  to 
one  held  every  evening.  Over  two  hundred  have 
been  added  to  the  membership  in  this  one  church. 
Friends  meeting  at  Fifth  Street  is  nightly  crowded 
to  overflowing  with  an  audience  anxiously  inquiring 
*  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ? '  The  very  atmosphere 
of  the  congregation  is  redolent  of  heaven  and  the 
conversions  are  numerous. 

"Here  system  and  order  reign.  Charles  F.  Coffin 
takes  the  chair  at  7  o'clock  P.  M.,  reads  a  lesson  from 
the  Bible,  then  a  few  moments  of  silent,  or  vocal 
prayer,  are  observed,  when  the  congregation  are  in- 
formed that  short,  concise  statements  will  be  heard 
from  any  person  who  desires  to  speak,  the  young  con- 
verts have  preference,  and  woe-betide,  *The  Old  Sol- 
dier of  the  Cross,'  who  extends  his  remarks  beyond 


Great  Revival  at  Richmond.  79 

the  allotted  time,  or  wanders  from  the  subject  before 
the  meeting— winning  souls  to  Christ. 

''Any  person  familiar  with  the  peculiar  manner 
of  worship  indulged  in  by  Friends,  would  be  aston- 
ished to  see  the  amount  of  excitement  this  outpour- 
ing of  God's  Holy  Spirit  has  caused  in  the  member- 
ship. Night  after  night  old  and  young  meet  for  the 
purpose  of  converting  sinners,  that  a  few  years  ago 
would  have  been  deemed  impossible,  within  the  walls 
of  a  Friends  Meeting  House ;  but  times  have  changed, 
and  with  these  customs  that  were  once  held  sacred, 
are  losing  their  virtue  and  are  soon  to  be  numbered 
with  the  things  of  the  past. 

''A  Mrs.  Frame,  perhaps,  is  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable preachers  in  this  revival,— tall,  graceful, 
and  commanding  in  appearance,  and  a  voice  full  of 
music,  she  can  enchain,  and  melt  into  tears  an  audi- 
ence sooner,  than  any  person  it  has  ever  been  our 
pleasure  to  hear. 

''Originally  a  Methodist,  she  joined  the  'Society 
of  Friends,'  because  she  conceived  she  had  a  mission 
to  perform  in  the  ministry  that  she  could  better  ac- 
complish there  than  anywhere  else.  Her  success  has 
been  remarkable.  Presbyterians,  Methodists,  and 
other  churches,  are  now  vieing  with  each  other  to 
have  her  preach  to  their  congregations."— (Cincin- 
nati Gazette.) 

At  the  close  of  a  meeting  held  during  the  sum- 
mer of  18—  at  Central  M.  E.  Church,  the  church  au- 
thorities offered  us  one  thousand  dollars  to  preach 
for  them  a  year;  said  they  would  admit  me  to  the 
Conference,  and  woidd  license  Esther  as  a  minister. 
We  would  have  been  expected  to  sever  our  relations 
with  the  Friends  Church.  We  told  them  we  had 
chosen  our  field  of  work  among  Friends,  and  God  had 
called  us  as  Evangelists,  and  though  we  had  no  prom- 


80  Great  Revival  at  Richmond, 

ise  of  support  from  our  Church  we  must  follow  the 
Lord. 

Charles  Miller  was  the  pastor  of  Central  M.  E. 
Church,  and  a  most  excellent  man,  full  of  sympathy 
and  love.  Our  meetings  here  were  very  large; 
nightly  many  were  converted,  the  church  supported 
us  by  their  earnest  work  and  prayers. 

Yet  we  felt  in  entering  our  new  fields  we  must 
walk  carefully  as  we  had  just  been  recorded  minis- 
ters, and  living  in  Richmond,  the  head  center  of 
Quakerism  in  Indiana  Yearly  Meeting.  We  knew 
all  the  prominent  friends  in  Richmond  were  observ- 
ing all  our  movements;  and  especially  as  we  were 
holding  meetings  in  the  Methodist  Church,  where  the 
people  sang,  and  invited  seekers  to  the  altar.  Thus 
far  since  coming  among  friends  we  had  neither  sang 
in  meeting  ourselves,  or  had  charge  of  any  meetings 
where  singing  was  practised. 

Some  Friends  came  into  these  meetings  almost 
every  evening,  and  some  of  them  took  part  in  the 
work  with  us,  while  others  looked  on  with  seeming 
disapprobation.  We  also  received  some  admonitory 
advice  from  ''deeply  concerned  friends,"  with  regard 
to  offering  ''Strange  fire,"  "a  fire  of  our  own  kin- 
dling" and  "running  before  the  guide."  Yet  there 
was  no  open  opposition  among  friends  to  our  holding 
these  meetings,  though  many  friends  were  not  kept 
from  letting  us  know  they  thought  we  had  better 
work  among  friends. 

At  the  last  meeting,  near  the  close  of  it.  Brother 
Miller,  the  pastor,  said  he  wanted  to  say  a  few  words, 
and  without  letting  us  know  what  he  intended,  he  said 
—"My  dear  brothers  and  sisters.  Brother  and  Sister 
Frame  have  been  with  us  preaching  the  gospel  and 
the  Lord  has  greatly  blessed  them,  sinners  have  been 
converted,  the  church  has  been  revived,  and  much 
good  has  been  done.    I  want  you  to  give  them  a  free 


Ministers  in  Friends  Church,  81 

will  offering,  and  send  them  away  rejoicing  with 
some  material  aid,  they  have  sown  to  us  spiritual 
things,  and  we  ought  to  give  them  of  our  temporal 
things.  So  as  the  Lord  moves  upon  your  hearts 
please  come  forward  and  I  will  receive  your  contri- 
butions. I  have  not  consulted  with  Brother  and  Sis- 
ter Frame  about  this,  and  am  entirety  responsible  for 
it."  And  in  much  less  time  than  it  has  taken  me  to 
record  this  account,  the  people  came  forward  and 
made  their  offering.  One  man,  an  infidel,  came 
hastily  forward,  the  tears  flowing  down  his  cheeks, 
and  gave  Brother  Miller  his  contribution,  and  said, 
*'here,  give  them  this,  and  may  God  bless  them." 

^'We  will  never  forget  that  'Free  Will'  offer- 
ing/' It  came  to  us  in  the  time  of  need,  and  so  freely, 
and  under  such  peculiar  conditions.  Three  years  and 
six  months  had  passed  away,  we  had  left  our  dear 
home  in  Iowa.  These  years  had  been  years  of  toil 
and  sacrifice.  We  had  labored  with  our  hands  to 
support  ourselves,  and  had  received  much  criticism. 
We  had  spent  nearly  all  the  money  for  which  we  sold 
our  home  for  the  good  of  Friends  meetings.    We  had 

Ministers  in  Friends  Society, 

refused  an  offer  of  a  thousand  dollars  a  year  to 
preach  to  these  people,  and  now  when  we  least 
thought  of  it,  the  Lord  had  given  us  money  enough 
to  pay  three  months'  rent,  and  leave  us  three  or  four 
dollars  to  buy  provisions— and  our  hearts  were  full 
of  thanksgiving.  And  yet,  strange  as  it  may  seem, 
we  received  this  offering  with  some  hesitancy,  and 
had  we  been  consulted  the  collection  would  not 
have  been  taken.  We  knew  that  we  would  be  re- 
proached as  '* hireling  ministers."  And  by  some  who 
had  never  made  any  sacrifices  themselves  for  the 
cause  of  Christ,  but  spent  all  their  energies  in  money 


82  Minister's  in  Friends  Church. 

making,  and  money  saving,  and  had  been  flooded 
with  the  divine  goodness  all  their  lives,  would  be  the 
ones  who  would  find  fault. 

Until  now  I  had  devoted  my  time  during  the 
winter  months  to  school  teaching.  Selecting  schools 
in  places  where  there  was  a  friends  meeting,  and  we 
thought  the  Lord  would  have  us  work. 

Now  we  felt  we  must  give  all  our  time  to  the 
work  of  the  Lord.  Our  financial  resources  were  lim- 
ited to  the  little  amount  that  was  left  from  my  last 
winter's  school,  and  we  had  lived  on  it  during  the 
year  and  paid  house  rent. 

Friends  in  Indiana  Yearly  Meeting  at  this  time 
made  no  provision  for  the  support  of  their  ministers, 
except  to  sometimes  supply  them  with  money  to  pay 
their  traveling  expenses,  when  a  meeting  had  libe- 
rated them  to  travel  in  "Truth's  Service"  away  from 
home,  and  when  they  could  not  pay  their  own  ex- 
penses. 

The  church  believing  in  the  doctrine  that  it  was 
more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive,  were  willing  that 
the  more  Messed  part  might  be  for  the  minister,  often 
quoting  the  words  of  Christ,  ^^Freely  ye  have  re- 
ceived, freely  give/'  and  to  such  an  extent  did  this 
feeling  prevail  in  the  church  at  the  time  of  which  we 
write,— that  often  when  ministers  received  anything 
offered,  by  other  people,  they  were  looked  upon,  as 
^'hireling  ministers/* 

The  men  and  women  who  consecrated  them- 
selves as  Evangelists,  and  spent  their  lives  iu  preach- 
ing the  gospel,  in  **The  Society  of  Friends,''  must 
look  for  their  reward  hereafter,  rather  than  here. 
While  the  people  to  whom  they  preached,  lived  in 
good  homes,  surrounded  with  all  the  comforts,  and 
sometimes  the  luxuries  of  life,  many  of  them  wealthy. 

So  strong  was  this  feeling  with  many  of  the 
friends  against  paying  ministers,  and  we  were  so 


Ministers  in  Friends  Church,  83 

afraid,  that  the  cause  of  "Truth"  would  suffer,  if  we 
received  money  offered,  that  when  we  were  at  Ander- 
son, Indiana,  and  held  some  meetings  there  on  the 
street,  and  the  sinners  of  the  town  appointed  two  of 
their  nimaber  to  come  to  our  hotel,  and  get  us  to  re- 
main one  day  more,  so  they  could  make  us  a  present 
of  a  purse  of  fifty  dollars,  we  told  them  we  dare  not 
remain,  and  so  much  alarmed  were  we  that  they 
would  raise  the  money,  that  we  went  away  on  the 
eight  o  'clock  train  instead  of  waiting  until  the  eleven 
o'clock  train  as  we  had  intended.  We  had  not  learned 
that  the  laborer  was  worthy  of  his  hire;  and  that 
these  sinners  were  attempting  to  carry  out  the  teach- 
ing of  Christ,  and  we  were  rejecting  it.  **They  that 
are  made  to  partake  of  Spiritual  things  ought  to  give 
of  their  carnal  things,"  what  a  time  of  settlement 
there  will  be  for  us  all,  when  we  stand  before  the 
Judgment  seat,  and  shall  see  as  we  are  seen. 

When  we  consider  the  sacrifices  of  such  men  as 
Amos  Kenworthy,  Eli  Jones,  Elwood  Osbun,  Luther 
B.  Gordon,  and  such  women  as  Mary  Rogers,  Jane 
Jones,  Caroline  Talbert,  Amy  Fulgum,  Frances  Jen- 
kins, and  many  others  in  all  the  yearlj^  meetings,  who 
gave  their  lives  for  the  church,  and  supported  them- 
selves by  doing  double  work,  we  are  glad  a  better 
day  is  dawning  on  the  church  in  this  respect. 

Many  of  the  most  gifted  and  useful  ministers  in 
the  church  would  have  been  glad  to  have  devoted  all 
their  time,  and  talents  in  preaching  the  gospel,  and  to 
pastoral  work,  but  could  not  do  so,  and  at  the  same 
time  make  a  living  for  their  families.  Their  needs 
should  have  been  supplied,  by  the  church  so  that  they 
might  have  been  free. 

The  result  has  been  the  church  has  suffered,  and 
many  meetings  that  ought  to  have  been  flourishing, 
and  doing  a  great  work,  have  barely  been  kept  in 
existence,  while  many  have  died  out,  and  other  de- 


84  We  Are  Recorded  Ministers, 

nominations  have  taken  their  place,  and  occupied  the 
fields,  and  many  of  our  best  members  and  efficient 
and  useful  workers  have  been  lost  to  us.  We  find 
them  scattered  all  over  the  middle,  and  western  por- 
tion of  the  United  States,  occupying  prominent 
places  in  other  churches,  not  because  other  churches 
had  hetter  facilities,  but  because  they  made  use  of 
them;  and  the  ministry  in  the  Society  of  Friends  has 
been  hampered,  hedged  in,  and  not  properly  sus- 
tained by  the  church. 

We  are  Recorded  Ministers. 

In  the  spring  of  1869,  after  my  school  had  closed 
at  Chester,  we  rented  a  house  in  Richmond,  and 
ordered  our  household  goods  shipped  there,  from 
Iowa,  as  we  now  felt  that  we  should  not  soon  go  back 
there  to  live. 

We  returned  the  few  articles  of  furniture  and 
dishes,  that  friends  had  loaned  us.  In  our  religious 
work  at  Chester  many  had  been  converted,  and  some 
added  to  the  church,  and  though  we  had  received  no 
aid  from  friends  financially,  except  one  pound  of 
butter,  one  chicken,  and  fifty  cents  in  money  that  a 
friend  gave  Esther,  we  had  the  approval  of  the  Lord, 
and  had  gained  the  hearts,  and  confidence  of  many 
of  the  friends  at  Chester 

Soon  after  coming  to  Richmond  we  were  re- 
corded ministers  by  Dover  Monthly  Meeting  and 
New  Garden  Quarterly  Meeting,  our  rights  of  mem- 
bership still  being  there;  Esther  was  acknowledged 
by  the  Quarterly  Meeting  before  I  was,  the  Quarterly 
Meeting  of  Ministers  and  Elders  not  deeming  it  wise 
to  record  ttvo  ministers  at  the  same  meeting,  as  we 
were  husband  and  wife. 

During  the  siunmer  after  our  goods  had  arrived, 
when  at  home,  we  attended  White  Water  meeting 


First  Visit  to  Muncie,  Indiana.  85 

held  on  the  Old  Yearly  Meeting  House  grounds  near 
the  railroad  depot,  where  Esther  came  nearly  three 
years  before. 

First  Visit  to  Muncie,  Indiana. 

During  the  summer  of  1869,  in  June,  by  invita- 
tion of  Bro.  Philips,  the  M.  E.  Minister  at  Muncie, 
Indiana,  we  went  there  to  hold  meetings  in  his  church 
on  Sabbath ;  arriving  on  Friday,  we  were  taken  im- 
mediately to  Bro.  Philip's  house. 

On  Saturday  we  felt  that  the  Lord  would  have 
us  do  some  work  in  the  temperance  cause.  Two 
Methodist  sisters  proposed  to  go  with  us.  We  were 
going  to  visit  some  of  the  saloons,  and  have  prayer 
with  such  '' saloonkeepers"  as  would  allow  us  to  visit 
them.  The  first  saloon  we  came  to,  I  asked  if  we 
could  have  a  prayer  meeting  and  the  keeper  very 
kindly  consented;  we  had  prayer  with  him  and 
pointed  out  to  him  the  evil  he  was  doing  and  the  suf- 
fering his  business  brought  upon  the  people.  He 
treated  us  very  kindly,  and  we  passed  on  to  the  next 
saloon.  We  found  the  saloon  door  closed  and  locked, 
and  some  one  informed  us  that  the  saloonkeeper  had 
been  told  that  we  were  coming,  and  closed  his  door 
and  hidden.  Then  we  passed  on  to  the  next  saloon. 
This  was  the  most  fashionable  one  and  the  most 
largely  patronized.  There  were  quite  a  number  of 
men  in  the  saloon  when  we  arrived ;  I  asked  the  pro- 
prietor if  the  ladies  could  have  a  prayer  meeting  in 
his  saloon,  and  he  gruffly  answered,  "No,  this  is  no 
place  for  a  prayer  meeting,  if  they  want  something 
to  drink  they  can  have  it." 

We  immediately  stepped  out  on  the  pavement  in 
front  of  his  saloon,  and  Esther  kneeled  on  the  pave- 
ment, the  two  Methodist  sisters  kneeling  close  to  her, 
and  Esther  began  to  pray.    We  had  noticed  when  we 


86  First  Visit  to  Muncie,  Indiana. 

went  in  that  there  was  a  rubber  hose  lying  on  the 
floor  and  one  end  of  it  running  toward  the  rear  door 
of  the  saloon,  and  that  a  man  had  hastily  gone  out  at 
that  door,  the  hose  was  attached  to  a  force  pump,  and 
the  man  had  been  sent  out  to  pump;  soon  the  pro- 
prietor came  to  the  front  door  of  the  saloon  and  said, 
to  the  women  kneeling,  and  praying— "Get  away 
from  there,  I  am  going  to  sprinkle"— Esther  kept  on 
praying;  again  he  said,  ''I  say  get  away  from  there, 
I  am  going  to  sprinkle,"  holding  the  hose  in  his  hand 
with  his  thumb  covering  the  nozzle ;  we  did  not  move, 
and  he  then  turned  the  hose  on  Esther ;  deluging  her 
so  with  water  that  for  a  time  it  took  her  breath,  but 
she  kept  on  until  she  finished  her  prayer;  and  then 
one  of  the  Methodist  sisters  began  to  pray,  and  the 
saloonkeeper  still  continued  to  flood  them  with 
water,  but  soon  the  hose  was  broken.  I  had  been 
standing  and  praying  silently,  and  watching  with  a 
good  deal  of  solicitude  to  see  how  it  would  terminate. 

This  being  Saturday  the  town  was  filled  with 
people  from  the  country,  and  many  had  been  at- 
tracted by  the  novelty  of  the  occasion. 

They  came  running  from  all  parts  of  the  town 
around  the  square,  and  from  the  business  houses; 
lawyers  with  their  briefs  in  their  hands  (the  Court 
House  was  just  across  the  street),  clerks  with  their 
pens  and  pencils,  farmers,  merchants,  mechanics, 
men,  women  and  children,  crowding  up  around  us  in 
a  motley  mass,  and  it  was  evident  that  matters  must 
soon  come  to  a  crisis— but  the  breaking  of  the  hose 
arrested  any  confiict;  there  were  men  in  that  com- 
pany who  were  just  ready  to  wreak  summary  punish- 
ment on  the  saloonist;  and  he  now  slunk  back  into 
his  den,  and  the  tumult  was  over ;  there  was  silence  in 
the  saloon ;  God  maketh  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise 
him,  and  the  balance  he  will  restrain.    The  crowd 


First  Visit  to  Muncie,  Indiana.  87 

dispersed  quietly  but  some  were  making  threats 
against  the  saloonist,  and  we  could  hear  such  expres- 
sions as— ''Well,  I  am  a  wicked  man,  but  I  could  not 
throw  water  on  a  woman  while  she  was  praying  for 
me"— "It  is  a  shame,  and  a  disgrace  to  the  com- 
munity"—''He  ought  to  be  mobbed"— and  similar 
expressions.  When  the  women  were  through  with 
their  meeting,  the  company  dispersed  to  their  places 
of  business,  and  we  went  home  with  Judge  Sample ; 
he  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  lawyers  in  the 
town.  The  people  became  much  excited  about  the 
Quaker  woman  who  had  the  water  thrown  on  her 
while  praying  for  the  saloonkeeper. 

The  excitement  produced  a  nervous  shock  on 
Esther,  and  gave  her  a  severe  headache,  her  health 
being  very  delicate  at  best,  and  she  had  to  be  taken 
immediately  to  her  room,  where  she  remained  all  the 
balance  of  the  day. 

Next  day  being  the  Sabbath  we  went  to  brother 
Philips'  church  and  preached  to  a  full  house,  and 
appointed  a  meeting  to  be  held  on  the  street  in  the 
afternoon.  Esther  was  quite  ill  again  after  the  meet- 
ing in  the  morning ;  so  when  the  time  for  the  street 
meeting  came,  we  had  an  easy  carriage  brought  to  the 
door,  and  she  was  helped  in  it  and  driven  to  the  place 
appointed  for  the  street  meeting.  When  we  arrived 
there  was  a  great  company  of  people  gathered,  many 
who  never  attended  a  meeting  in  a  meeting  house. 
They  had  come  to  see  the  woman  who  had  the  water 
thrown  on  her.  The  street  for  a  square's  distance, 
was  filled  with  people;  the  windows  of  the  houses 
where  Esther  stood,  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
street  were  filled  with  people,  and  some  were  on 
sheds,  and  the  tops  of  houses.  When  Esther  began 
to  speak  that  vast  throng  were  hushed  into  silence, 
and  before  she  finished  her  sermon  they  were  swept 


88  First  Visit  to  Ohio, 

by  tlie  power  of  the  spirit  as  a  forest  is  swept  by  a 
migbty  wind.  A  number  of  persons  were  converted 
there,  and  then.  The  saloonkeeper  (who  threw  the 
water)  never  regained  what  he  lost— even  his  friends 
forsook  him.  Judge  Sample  wanted  to  prosecute 
him,  but  we  said  no,  and  Esther's  remark  was  this— 
"God's  curse  will  be  curse  enough."  And  so  it 
proved,  he  is  a  poor,  broken  spirited  old  man  without 
business.  He  has  a  nice  family,  may  God  bless  and 
sustain  them.  We  went  home  from  Muncie  on  Mon- 
day. We  had  been  there  two  days.  When  we  had 
gotten  on  the  train,  and  were  ready  to  start,  a  gentle- 
man came  into  the  car,  and  addressing  us  said,  "My 
name  is  John  W.  Benson ;  my  wife  and  I  have  been  at 
your  meetings,  we  are  now  Methodists,  I  was  form- 
erly a  Friend,  we  have  reconsecrated  ourselves  to 
God,  and  determined  from  this  time  to  give  one-tenth 
of  all  our  income  to  the  Lord,  and  here  is  your  share 
of  it,"  he  added,  as  he  handed  us  a  sealed  envelope, 
addressed  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame.  It  was  God's  oivn 
gift,  we  needed  it  very  much,  for  when  we  arrived  at 
Muncie  we  only  had  forty  cents  left. 

John  W.  Benson  has  gone  home  to  his  heavenly 
rest,  and  we  shall  meet  him  there  when  our  work  is 
done.  There  was  no  Friends  meeting  at  Muncie  at 
this  time. 

First  Visit  to  Ohio. 

After  our  visit  to  Muncie  we  attended  Iowa 
yearly  meeting,  and  then  returned  to  Richmond  and 
were  at  our  own  yearly  meeting.  Soon  after  the  close 
of  Indiana  Yearly  Meeting  having  obtained  a  minute 
from  Dover  Monthly  Meeting,  we  closed  our  house, 
taking  our  two  children  with  us  and  went  to  New 
Vienna,  Ohio. 


First  Visit  to  Ohio,  89 

There  were  four  large  Quarterly  Meetings  in 
Western  Ohio,  that  belonged  to  Indiana  Yearly- 
Meeting— Fairfield,  Center,  Miami  and  West 
Branch.  In  the  limits  of  Fairfield  Quarterly  Meet- 
ing was  where  the  revival  work  commenced  among 
Friends  in  Ohio,  and  like  the  cloud  that  the  servant 
of  Elijah  saw,  it  indicated  abundance  of  rain. 

God  had  been  laying  his  hand  on  many  faithful 
workers,  and  preparing  them  for  that  great  work 
that  was  to  awaken  a  slumbering  church,  and,  say  to 
them,  ** Arise!  shine,  for  thy  light  has  come  and  the 
glory  of  the  Lord  is  risen  upon  thee." 

We  attended  the  dedication  of  a  new  meeting 
house  at  Fairview  and  returned  to  Richmond  for  a 
little  time,  promising  Friends  in  Ohio  to  come  back 
to  them  in  a  few  days,  which  we  did.  At  this  time 
Fairfield  Quarterly  Meeting  of  Friends  had  a 
*'Home  Mission  Committee'^  appointed  (though 
they  did  not  so  name  it)  to  visit,  and  hold  meetings 
among  any  friends  who  lived  in  places  remote  from 
meetings.  One  of  these  places  was  a  little  village 
called  Londondary,  twelve  miles  east  of  Chillicothe, 
Ohio— where  two  or  three  friends  lived,  and  some 
who  were  descendants  of  Friends.  New  Richmond, 
near  Londondary,  was  the  burial  place  of  the  first 
Friend  who  came  to  ^'The  Ohio."  His  coffin  was 
made  out  of  the  trunk  of  a  tree  felled  by  the  woods- 
man's ax.  The  tree  split  in  two  pieces,  and  these  hol- 
lowed out  as  the  pioneers  hollowed  troughs  for  their 

Meetings  at  Londondary,  Ohio. 

stock  and  other  purposes ;  and  he  was  laid  away  in 
this  rude  coffin. 

Indiana  Yearly  Meeting  has  purchased  the 
grave  yard,  where  this  friend  is  buried,  and  enclosed 
it  with  a  stone  wall. 


90  First  Visit  to  Ohio. 

But  to  return  to  our  narrative.  We  went  with 
the  Committee  that  I  have  mentioned  to  hold  some 
meetings  and  visit  the  "scattered  friends,"  and  their 
children  where  Friends  had  first  settled  in  Ohio.  It 
had  been  advertised  in  the  Chillicothe  papers,  and  in 
the  little  village  where  the  meetings  were  to  be  held 
that  the  *' Quakers  were  coming,"  and  a  woman 
preacher  was  among  them,  this  was  enough  at  least 
to  arouse  the  curiosity  in  the  community,  and  yet 
there  was  much  prejudice  against  ** Quakers."  They 
were  thought  to  be  an  odd  people  who  held  silent 
meetings;  who  dressed  differently  from  every  one 
else. 

We  held  our  first  meeting  in  a  little  old  fash- 
ioned meeting  house,  five  miles  from  Londondary, 
near  Schooly's  Station,  and  were  hospitably  enter- 
tained by  two  maiden  ladies  by  the  name  of  Claypole, 
their  father  being  one  of  the  men  who  assisted  in 
drafting  the  first  Constitution  of  the  State  of  Ohio. 
In  the  morning  *'The  Committee,"  and  ourselves 
were  convyed  in  two  large  old  fashioned  wagons 
(there  were  fourteen  of  the  Committee)  to  London- 
dary. 

Londondary  is  a  long  straggling  village  with  one 
principal  street  in  it  from  South  to  North. 

When  we  were  driven  into  the  town  the  whole 
population  were  on  the  watch  to  see  the  "Quakers," 
and  as  we  passed  on  to  the  M.  E.  Church  where  the 
meetings  were  to  be  held,  we  were  as  much  a  wonder 
as  if  we  had  been  a  menagerie  from  Central  Africa. 

The  men  were  standing  in  the  front  of  their 
dwellings,  the  women,  many  of  them  in  the  doorways, 
the  children  on  the  fences,  and  the  young  ladies  true 
to  the  instincts  of  their  modesty,  and  yet  with  the 
same  curiosity  of  others,  were  standing  at  the  win- 
dows with  the  curtains  drawn  aside,  so  they  could  see 


Meetings  at  Londondary,  Ohio.  91 

the  *' Quakers  "—and  thus  we  moved  leisurely  along 
the  street  like  a  procession  of  animals  ready  to  be  ex- 
hibited in  the  "big  tent." 

When  we  arrived  at  the  meeting  house,  although 
it  should  have  been  open,  we  found  it  shut  and  the 
Sexton  with  the  key  was  a  mile  in  the  country.  While 
we  waited  for  a  messenger  to  go  for  the  key,  a 
drunken  Universalist  came  and  invited  us  into  his 
house  near  by,  for  the  rain  was  falling.  Soon  the 
meeting  house  was  opened,  a  congregation  gathered, 
and  we  had  a  good  meeting,  the  house  being  about 
half  mied. 

At  the  close  of  the  service  it  was  announced  to 
those  present  that  the  Quakers  had  come,  and  the 
woman  preacher  would  preach  that  night,  and  that 
there  would  be  two  meetings  held  the  next  day 
(Sabbath)  and  the  word  was  published  at  the  schools. 

At  night  the  house  was  filled  with  people  curious 
to  see  and  hear  the  woman  preacher. 

Early  Sabbath  morning,  long  before  meeting 
time,  the  people  from  the  village,  and  country 
around,  began  to  come,  and  continued  until  every 
available  seat  was  occupied,  and  the  aisles  were  filled, 
and  all  around  the  walls  they  were  standing,  the 
windows  were  opened  and  those  on  the  outside 
crowded  to  the  windows,  and  the  meeting  house  yard 
was  filled  with  crowds  hungering  to  hear  the  sweet 
and  simple  gospel  of  the  "Lowly  Nazarine." 

There  were  many  intelligent  persons  in  this  com- 
munity, but  the  church  people  had  been  much  de- 
moralized during  the  "late  Civil  War,"  and  were  as 
sheep  without  a  shepherd— sca^^erecZ.  They  came 
fifteen  miles  to  attend  the  meetings;  some  women 
riding  over  the  hills  on  horseback  mth  their  babies 
in  their  arms,  to  enjoy  one  day's  meeting,  when  it 


92  A  New  Church, 

took  them  one  day  to  come,  and  another  day  to  go 
home. 

There  were  hundreds  at  this  meeting  converted ; 
the  churches  that  had  been  demoralized  were  revived, 
and  ministers  called  to  them,  and  there  was  a 
Friends  Meeting  organized  and  a  new  meeting  house 
built,  and  we  were  present  at  the  dedication  of  it,  and 
I  cannot  give  a  better  account  of  it  than  to  copy  a 
letter  written  to  the  Ross  Co.  Register,  by  one  of  the 
most  prominent  men  of  Chillicothe : 

Correspondent's  Letter, 

FROM  LONDONDARY-A  NEW  CHURCH. 

Quakers   and  Women— Success   of   the  Latter   as 

Ministers. 
Editor  Register : 

Saturday  and  Sunday  last  was  the  time  for 
opening  the  new  Quaker  Meeting  House  near  Lon- 
dondary.  A  neat  and  plain  house,  36  x  50  feet  at  a 
cost  of  ($1,500.00)  fifteen  hundred  dollars.  Such 
improvements  as  this,  though  it  be  a  Quaker  meeting 
house,  speaks  well  for  the  enterprise  and  morality  of 
the  people,  if  not  for  the  Christianity  of  the  sur- 
rounding country.  Show  us  a  community  that  re- 
spect the  buried  dead,  and  look  well  to  churches,  and 
you  exhibit  a  people  that  are  moving  in  the  right  di- 
rection. 

It  certainly  required  faith  on  the  part  of  the 
few  Quakers  who  called  at  Londondary  a  little  over 
a  year  ago  to  have  believed,  that  on  the  7th  of  May, 
18—  would  have  witnessed  what  took  place  on  that 
day,  seeing  the  ground  was  already  occupied  by  other 
denominations.  But  this  is  the  faith  they  claim  to 
have  (and  teach)     The  Quakers  have  a  reserve  force 


Quakers  and  Women.  93 

that  other  denominations  fail  to  recognize,  and  per- 
mit to  remain  ahnost  useless— "Woman  power.  The 
Quaker  was  the  first  to  admit  her  equality  with  man, 
hence  it  was  no  strange  sight  to  see  the  husband  and 
wife  ascend  and  occupy  the  pulpit  together,  nor  was 
it  surprising  that  the  first  public  prayer  offered  in 
that  new  house  should  be  by  a  woman,  even  in  the 
presence  of  able  men  ministers.  Men  talk  about  per- 
fection in  science  and  often  ask  what  will  be  next, 
seeing  we  have  mastered  and  have  control  of  the 
great  world  moving  agents,  steam  and  electricity, 
forgetting  that  there  is  still  another  agent  or  power 
in  the  land,  that  can  outstrip  electricity,  or  steam- 
woman  power.  Not  only  at  the  ballot  box,  and  in  the 
counting  room,  on  the  bench,  or  in  the  pulpit,  woman 
is  destined  to  prove  herself  man's  equal,  if  not  his 
superior. 

If  no  other  pulpit  efforts  were  ever  made  before 
the  large  audience  by  a  woman  minister,  than  the 
sermons  preached  by  Esther  Frame,  it  was  enough  to 
settle  the  question,  and  establish  her  claim  to  the  pul- 
pit, in  the  minds  of  all  intelligent  people.  No  better 
evidence  can  be  afforded  of  good  entertainment,  than 
the  fact  that  a  crowded  house  will  sit  for  hours  in 
this  fast  age  of  short  sermons,  and  hear  three,  or 
four,  or  even  five  discourses  without  apparent  weari- 
ness. 

On  no  occasion  within  the  memory  of  the  writer 
was  there  a  greater  declaration  of  practical  truths, 
than  on  that  Sabbath  occasion. 

J.  H.  Douglas  occupied  an  hour  in  the  forenoon 
on  the  signs  of  the  times,  dwelling  chiefly  on  the  dark 
side  of  the  picture. 

Nathan  T.  Frame  spent  an  hour  on  the  talents, 
and  industry,  the  improvement  of  the  talents,  with 
an  eloquence  rarely  equaled,  while  Esther  Frame 


94  A  Sad  Ending, 

dwelt  on  what  was  true  Christianity.  As  her  soft 
mellow  voice  raised  and  rolled  on  through  the  house 
bringing  tears  from  old  dry  eyes  like  great  rain 
drops,  the  writer  could  not  help  but  think,  that  if 
good  ''Old  Paul"  had  been  there,  he  would  straight- 
way have  revised  some  of  his  Epistles. 

But  it  is  useless  in  this  brief  synopsis  to  note  but 
little  of  what  was  said  and  done.  We  have  no  doubt 
that  a  great  deal  of  good  seed  was  sown,  the  fruits  of 
which  will  be  seen  hereafter,  and  much  only  in  eter- 
nity. Of  course  not  being  a  Quaker,  we  don't  write 
this  report  from  a  Quaker  standpoint,  but  write  as 
an  independent  observer  of  what  we  saw,  and  heard, 
and  felt. 

Simpson  Jones, 
Chillicothe,  May  10th,  18-. 

So  the  tide  of  the  Lord's  work  swept  on,  and 
many  in  the  day  of  his  coming,  when  he  makes  up  his 
jewels  shall  come  from  the  little  town  of  London- 
dary,  and  from  among  the  hills  and  valleys  around 
about,  and  sit  down  in  the  Kingdom  of  God.  Some 
have  already  entered  into  their  rest,  who  were  con- 
verted at  this  meeting. 

A  Sad  Ending. 

There  was  a  touching  incident  in  connection 
with  our  last  meetings  at  Londondary.  When 
we  first  went  there  and  stopped  at  the  "Public 
House,"  it  was  kept  by  a  widow,  the  family 
consisting  of  herself,  her  two  daughters  (young 
women)  and  son,  sixteen  years  old.  There  was 
a  little  room  attached  to  the  hotel  where  intoxi- 
cating drinks  were  sold;  her  son  was  bar-tender. 
We  remonstrated  with  her  on  the  evils  and  sin  of  this 
business  and  the  danger  to  her  own  son.     Esther 


A  Sad  Ending.  95 

then  said  to  her  in  the  presence  of  her  daughters: 
**  Unless  thee  ceases  to  sell  that  which  brings  so  much 
sorrow  upon  others,  it  will  surely  come  to  thy  own 
heart."  But  she  did  not  heed  it;  her  son  continued 
in  the  little  whisky  shop,  dealing  out  drinks  to  the 
men  and  boys  who,  many  of  them,  spent  their  time 
and  money  there,  and  he  drank  with  them  and  was 
fast  becoming  a  sot. 

When  we  returned  a  year  later  and  passed  by 
the  hotel  we  noticed  the  *' tippling  shop"  was  closed. 
The  young  ladies  mentioned,  met  us  at  the  close  of 
one  of  the  meetings  and  asked  us  home  with  them. 
We  went,  and  when  we  had  arrived  at  their  home 
and  laid  aside  our  wraps,  these  girls  began  to  weep 
bitterly,  and  said:  ''Oh,  Mrs.  Frame,  if  we  had  only 
done  as  you  besought  us,  our  brother  would  not  have 
died  with  delirium  tremens.  Oh,  Mrs.  Frame,  if  we 
had  but  minded  you." 

"There  is  a  time  we  know  not  when, 
A  place  we  know  not  where, 
That  marks  the  boundary  between 
Redemption  and  despair." 

We  still  made  our  home  at  Richmond,  Indiana. 
Martinsville,  Ohio, 

We  will  now  take  up  the  series  of  meetings  as 
they  occurred  in  their  order.  Our  first  protracted 
meeting  in  this  part  of  the  country  was  at  Martins- 
ville, a  small  town  of  four  or  five  hundred  people,  sur- 
rounded by  a  rich  farming  country  that  had  been 
first  settled  by  Friends,  many  of  them  from  North 
Carolina.  The  plain  dress  was  still  worn  by  most  of 
the  elderly  Friends.  And  on  quarterly  and  monthly 
meeting  occasions,  the  gallery  where  the  ministers  and 
elders  sat  was  filled  with  the  Patriarchs  and  Mothers 


96  Martinsville^  Ohio. 

in  Israel ;  the  four  long  seats  with  a  hand  railing  in 
front  of  each  of  them,  extending  from  one  end  of  the 
meeting  house  to  the  other,  the  whole  long  length; 
the  seat  next  the  wall  being  the  highest,  as  all  of  them 
were  on  a  raised  platform.  On  the  ^^high  seat/'  the 
place  of  honor,  sat  the  elders  and  the  ministers,  tak- 
ing rank  according  to  age  and  "weight^'  of  experi- 
ence. The  men  Friends  on  one  side  of  the  board  par- 
tition that  ran  through  the  center  of  the  house  from 
floor  to  ceiling,  and  the  women  *' Friends''  on  the 
other  side  of  the  partition ;  this  partition  was  so  ar- 
ranged that  during  meetings  for  worship  it  could  be 
thrown  into  one  room,  so  that  it  practically  formed 
one  congregation;  but  in  times  of  business  '^Men 
Friends''  and  ^^  Women  Friends"  sat  in  separate 
parts  of  the  house,  the  shutters  in  the  partition  being 
closed. 

When  all  the  elders  and  ministers  had  taken 
their  seats  in  the  gallery  and  the  house  was  filled 
with  people,  and  *' meeting  had  set,"  there  was  a 
strange  and  ^'solemn  silence,"  when  nought  but  the 
quiet  breathing  of  that  throng  of  worshipers  could 
be  heard.  These  older  Friends  had  been  schooled  in 
a  rigid  simplicity  of  manner  and  dress,  and  taught 
from  infancy  to  be  honest  and  industrious  and  to  ex- 
ercise a  generous  hospitality  in  their  homes  to 
neighbors  and  to  entertain  strangers.  There  was  a 
simple  grandeur  in  their  guileless  lives  that  stamped 
many  of  them  as  men  and  women  of  God.  And  yet 
the  active  and  aggressive  promulgation  of  the  Gospel 
to  regenerate  men  and  save  the^n  now,  so  that  they 
should  know  it,  was  not  much  taught,  and  forced 
upon  the  attention  of  the  younger  portion  of  the 
membership.  There  were  many  who  were  hungering 
for  such  teaching,  and  the  Lord  was  opening  the  way. 

A  protracted  meeting  was  something  new  to  the 


Oak  Grove,  97 

*' Friends,"  as  there  had  never  been  a  series  of 
meetings  held  in  a  Friends  meeting  house.  Friends 
thought  that  the  stated  meetings  were  all  that  were 
needed. 

We  dare  not  sing,  but  many  were  converted  even 
among  the  elderly  members,  not  only  among  Friends, 
but  among  all  denominations,  and  from  the  outside. 

While  many  said  we  are  '*  seeing  strange  things 
in  these  days,"  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was  so  mani- 
festly in  it  that  there  were  few  that  dared  oppose. 

From  Martinsville  we  went  to  the  little  town  of 
Westboro,  a  few  miles  away,  and  here  occurred  a 
most  blessed  work  of  the  Lord. 

Oak  Grove. 

After  closing  our  work  at  Westboro  we  re- 
mained a  short  time  at  New  Vienna,  Clinton  County, 
Ohio,  where  Isaac  and  Mary  Jane  Lewis  opened  their 
house  to  us  and  said  we  should  make  their  house  our 
home  as  long  as  we  desired  to  stay  with  them.  Here 
we  remained  only  a  day  or  two. 

A  friend  took  us  by  private  conveyance  to  Oak 
Grove.  This  was  the  name  of  the  meeting  house  in 
the  country.  We  made  our  home  at  Hazael  D. 
Green's,  and  commenced  our  meetings  immediately. 

To  the  Friends  who  were  not  prejudiced 
against  the  new  order  of  things  being  introduced, 
curiosity  alone  would  have  brought  them  to  the  meet- 
ings, but  this  was  not  what  brought  them  out  even 
from  the  first.  There  was  a  real  hungering  and 
thirsting  for  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  and  the  meetings 
had  not  been  in  progress  more  than  one  day  until 
the  house  was  filled  with  eagerly  listening  hearers  to 
the  preaching,  and  they  pressed  but  to  touch  the  hem 
of  the  Saviour's  garment,  and  were  made  whole. 


98  Oak  Grove, 

This  meeting  was  held  in  the  latter  part  of  No- 
vember, and  being  in  the  country,  the  fall  rains  filled 
the  surface  of  the  earth  with  water ;  the  roads  leading 
to  the  meeting  house  were  soon  almost  impassable 
for  buggies  and  carriages,  but  this  did  not  hinder 
the  people  from  coming. 

The  great  strong  farm  wagons  were  made  ready 
and  the  people  used  them,  and  when  they  could  not  be 
used  in  the  roads  they  came  through  the  fields  and 
across  meadows  and  many  came  night  after  night  on 
foot  two  and  three  miles. 

The  last  Sabbath  we  remained  at  ''Oak  Grove'* 
we  had  an  all  day  meeting,  the  people  bringing  their 
dinners  with  them. 

One  elderly  friend  who  had  attended  most  of  the 
meetings  and  was  some  fearful  of  the  new  order  of 
things,  when  we  made  the  proposition  that  friends 
bring  their  dinners  with  them  and  that  we  have  three 
meetings  that  day  and  remain  all  day,  sat  very 
quietly  for  a  time  and  then  said:  "Well,  Friends, 
this  is  a  new  way,  hut  if  friends  think  best  I  am 
willing,  but  I  think  a  few  discreet  friends  might  be 
set  apart  to  see  that  good  order  is  kept." 

The  committee  was  appointed  and  the  coming 
Sabbath  day  was  to  be  to  the  people  of  "Oak  Grove" 
a  feast  of  "Tabernacles." 

Though  the  days  had  usually  been  cloudy,  and 
sometimes  a  cold  drizzling  rain  was  falling,  this 
Sabbath  morning  the  sun  broke  over  the  tops  of  the 
great  oak  trees,  revealing  to  the  happy  people  a 
cloudless  sky,  and  more  than  an  hour  before  the  time 
appointed  for  the  first  meeting  they  began  to  arrive 
in  wagons;  they  came  on  horseback,  they  came  on 
foot,  young  men  and  maidens,  boys  and  girls,  moth- 
ers with  their  babes,  grand  fathers  and  grand 
mothers,  all  eagerly  pressing  to  the  house  of  God,  a 


Last  Sabbath  at  Oak  Grove.  99 

whole  community  going  to  spend  a  Sabbath  day  in 
*'tlie  courts  of  the  Lord's  house." 

"O !  happy  day  that  fixed  my  choice 

On  Thee  my  Saviour  and  my  God. 
Well  may  this  glowing  heart  rejoice 
And  tell  its  raptures  all  abroad." 


Last  Sahhath  at  Oak  Grove. 

The  first  meeting  was  to  be  a  conference  meeting 
and  commence  at  eight  o'clock.  Job  Smith  was 
there ;  all  the  elders  were  there  in  their  places,  their 
faces  were  wreathed  with  smiles;  the  countenances 
of  many  in  the  audience  had  on  them  that  rapturous 
glow  that  is  so  often  seen  on  the  face  of  the  young 
convert,  and  is  God's  benediction  kiss  and  embrace  of 
-first  love. 

Short  pathetic  prayers  were  offered,  simple  and 
clear  testimonies  were  given  to  the  power  of  saving 
grace,  and  now  and  then  a  hearty  response  of  appro- 
val from  a  brother  or  sister,  then  some  dear  old 
father  or  mother  in  Israel,  who  all  their  lives  had 
been  church-goers  and  seldom  ever  opened  their 
mouths  in  vocal  testimony,  would  say:  *'I  am  glad 
I  have  lived  to  see  this  day,"  or  **I  have  unity  with 
the  meeting  and  with  the  dear  young  ministering 
friends  who  are  with  us  to  be  encouraged." 

But  it  is  time  for  the  next  meeting  to  commence, 
and  so  it  did,  but  not  in  any  merely  formal  manner, 
for  it  is  impossible  to  be  formal  with  all  these  sur- 
roundings. 

The  preacher's  theme,  of  course,  was  to  fight  the 
good  fight  of  faith  and  receive  the  welcome,  "well 
done!" 


100  Oak  Grove. 

At  a  little  after  twelve  o'clock  the  dinner  was 
spread  before  the  multitude  and  relished  as  such  a 
dinner  only  can  be  relished  under  such  circumstances. 

We  had  all  things  in  common;  all  had  every- 
thing that  anyone  else  had  and  served  as  only  careful 
housewives  can  who  have  been  trained  to  it  all  their 
lives. 

J  oh  Smith,  the  leading  elder,  was  there,  and 
Hazel  Greene,  the  principal  minister,  and  all  was 
harmony  and  good  will.  As  Job  Smith  sat  among 
the  elders  I  heard  him  say:  '*Well,  it  seems  mighty 
friendly,  like  it  did  in  early  times  when  Friends  first 
settled  here. " 

Job  Smith  was  right,  it  was  a  friendly  time;  the 
hearts  of  the  people  were  made  one  in  Christ,  a  type 
of  the  good  time  coming,  when  all  shall  know  the 
Lord  from  the  least  to  the  greatest. 

The  afternoon  meeting  closed  our  services  there 
and  we  bade  faretvell  to  our  many  friends,  never  to 
see  some  of  them  again. 


Bohert  W.  Doiujlas,  First  Pastor. 


EoBEET  ^y.  Douglas. 


Our  Home  at  New  Vienna,  101 

CHAPTER  y. 

Our  Home  at  New  Vienna. 

From  this  meeting  we  went  home  with  our  dear 
friends,  Hazael  Greene  and  wife,  where  we  had  been 
so  kindly  entertained.  In  the  morning  following 
Hazael  took  us  in  his  carriage  to  New  Vienna,  Ohio, 
to  our  dear  friends,  Isaac  and  Mary  Jane  Lewis. 
They  have  gone  to  their  reward. 

For  ten  years,  as  we  continued  our  work  largely 
in  Southwestern  Ohio,  in  the  limits  of  Indiana  yearly 
meeting,  and  passed  from  one  place  to  another,  we 
always  had  a  good  home  and  a  hearty  welcome  at 
their  house  and  the  best  of  care  and  attention  in 
times  of  sickness.  How  precious  the  memory  of  such 
friends,  who  were  a  father  and  a  mother  unto  us  and 
our  little  children.  Also  to  Hannah  and  Ellis,  their 
son  and  daughter,  may  the  Lord's  richest  blessing 
rest  upon  them.  Many  changes  have  come  since 
then. 

We  went  next  to  Wilmington,  Ohio. 

Meetings  in  Preston's  Hall. 

Robert  W.  Douglas,  the  first  pastor  of  Friends 
Church,  resided  at  Wilmington,  and  one  of  his  boys 
had  died,  and  John  Henry  Douglas  was  called  there 
to  attend  the  funeral,  and  while  there  was  solicited 
to  remain  over  the  Sabbath  and  preach.  Friends 
desired  the  meetings  continued  and  secured  a  large 
hall  to  hold  them  in  known  as  "Preston's  Hall,"  for 
Friends  had  no  meeting  house  in  Wilmington. 

There  was  a  little  meeting  house  in  the  suburbs 
of  Wilmington  where  a  few  Friends  met  on  their 


102  Meetings  at  Preston's  Hall. 

regular  meeting  days,  but  the  meetings  were  very 
small. 

The  meetings  had  been  in  session  two  or  three 
days  when  we  arrived,  and  from  the  time  we  came 
until  the  close  of  the  series  the  large  hall  was  filled  by 
the  multitudes  who  came  and  most  of  the  time  the 
hall  was  filled  at  the  day  meetings. 

That  the  quiet  conservative  Quakers  who  from 
time  immemorial  had  pursued  their  even  way  and 
had  never  held  a  series  of  meetings,  should  now, 
without  any  announcement,  rent  a  hall  and  begin  a 
protracted  meeting  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  the 
multitudes,  was  a  thing  so  entirely  new  that  it  be- 
came the  common  conversation  of  the  town. 

The  Quaker  meetings  were  the  absorbing 
topic  of  conversation  among  all  classes.  Many  of  the 
older  Friends  discussed  the  innovations  in  their  fami- 
lies and  among  the  people  with  many  misgivings  and 
a  few  openly  arrayed  themselves  against  so  serious  a 
departure  of  the  good  order  of  society  and  prophesied 
the  ruin  of  the  church  and  the  downfall  of  Qua- 
kerism. 

But  the  larger  part  of  the  membership,  compos- 
ing the  active  and  most  influential  among  the  middle 
aged  and  young,  hailed  it  as  the  good  time  having 
come  that  some  of  the  older  ministers  had  prophesied 
would  come  ''if  'Friends'  were  faithful/' 

And  many  of  them  referred  to  the  eloquent  ut- 
terances of  Nathan  Hunt,  Jeremiah  Hubbard, 
Aseneth  Clark  and  other  faithful  ministers  who  had 
declared  that  God  would  build  the  "old  waste  places 
of  Jerusalem  and  sorrow  and  sighing  should  flee 
away  and  the  land  should  no  more  be  called  desolate.*' 

It  was  again  as  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the 
wilderness,  "prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord  and 
make  His  paths  straight." 


Meetings  at  Preston's  Hall.  103 

Then  went  out  all  the  Friends  in  Wilmington 
and  Dover  and  from  Chester  and  some  from  the  re- 
gions round  about  to  hear  the  Gospel  preached  at 
Preston's  Hall.  There  were  four  ministers  of 
Friends  engaged  in  holding  these  meetings— Robert 
W.  Douglas,  John  Henry  Douglas,  Nathan  and 
Esther  Frame,  and  a  number  more  ministers  were 
in  attendance  paii:  of  the  time,  among  whom  was  our 
*'dear  good  friend,"  Daniel  Hill. 

There  was  no  singing  in  these  meetings  from  the 
beginning  until  the  close.  We  did  not  have  a  mourn- 
ers'  "bench  or  anxious  seat."  All  the  me^ns  used 
different  from  an  ordinary  Friends  meeting  was  that 
those  who  desired  the  prayers  of  the  church  and  were 
determined  to  be  Christians  were  asked  to  arise  in 
the  congregation  and  let  that  fact  be  known. 

The  Gospel  was  freely  preached  and  exhorta- 
tions were  given,  prayers  were  offered  and  earnest 
personal  work  was  done,  both  in  meeting  and  out  of 
meeting.  And  we  had  testimony  and  conference 
meetings  and  many  spoke  in  these  meetings.  Fre- 
quently sinners  would  fall  on  their  knees  in  the  con- 
gregation and  call  aloud  for  the  Saviour  to  have 
mercy  upon  and  save  them,  and  yet  there  was  no 
tendency  toward  ranterism  manifested.  There  was 
present  in  the  meetings  and  in  the  town  an  all  per- 
vading and  felt  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  was 
manifestly  among  the  people,  pressing  them  on  all 
sides.  And  now,  in  reading  the  history  of  the  Society 
of  Friends  in  the  days  of  George  Fox  and  how  the 
power  of  the  Lord  was  among  the  people,  and  often 
how  the  floor  was  wet  with  their  tears,  we  can  but  be- 
lieve that  these  meetings,  if  there  had  been  singing  in 
them,  were  much  the  same  as  in  the  days  of  the  fam- 
ous and  godly  minister  who  made  the  memorable  and 
remarkable  utterance : 


104  Doane  and  Mills. 

*' Friends,  let  all  your  meetings  be  held  in  the 
power  of  God."  There  was  more  than  an  assent  of 
the  mind  to  the  truths  preached  and  a  determination 
to  lead  a  new  life  and  become  a  Christian ;  there  was 
a  genuine  work  of  God  wrought  in  the  soul  that  made 
sin  exceedingly  sinful  and  with  the  heart  they  em- 
braced Christ  and  Divine  life  was  imparted  and  they 
were  bom  of  God. 

Doane  and  Mills. 

Levi  Mills,  a  *' birthright  member"  of  the  church 
and  a  rising  young  lawyer,  became  much  interested 
In  the  meetings,  was  brought  under  great  conviction 
for  salvation.  In  speaking  of  it  to  some  of  his 
friends,  he  said  that  the  first  sensation  he  had  was 
that  his  feet  seemed  to  be  "swelling  in  his  boots,"  his 
boots  were  too  small  and  his  feet  absolutely  became 
painful  to  him.  His  remark  was  this:  "AVhen  I 
hear  that  woman  preach  my  boots  get  so  tight  I  can- 
not stand  it."  But  he  was  soon  gloriously  converted 
and  the  Lord  called  him  to  preach  the  Gospel ;  it  was 
not  long  until  he  was  recorded  a  minister  of  the 
Gospel,  and  for  many  years  has  been  one  of  the  most 
efficient  workers  in  Indiana  yearly  meeting. 

This  series  of  meetings  was  crowned  with  great 
results  for  the  good  to  the  church. 

Azariah  W.  Doane,  one  of  the  most  prominent 
lawyers  in  Clinton  County,  who  had  been  a  Colonel 
in  the  army  and  had  been  State  Senator,  from  the 
first  took  much  interest  in  the  meetings,  but  held 
back  for  a  time,  but  at  last  committed  himself.  One 
night  when  the  hall  was  densely  packed  and  people 
were  standing  in  the  aisles  and  around  the  walls, 
every  foot  of  space  being  occupied,  there  was  an  op- 
portunity given  to  any  who  desired  the  prayers  of  the 


Remarkable  Conversion,  105 

church  to  manifest  it  by  standing  up  or  make  public 
manifestation  in  some  way,  and  to  the  surprise  of 
many  Azariah  Doane  arose  and  in  his  quiet  but  de- 
cided way  (a  hush  of  almost  breathless  silence  falling 
on  the  great  audience),  said:  *' Friends  and  fellow 
citizens,  I  have  determined  to  be  a  Christian,  and  I 
see  many  of  my  old  comrades  here  who  were  with  me 
in  the  army.  I  shared  with  you  the  hardships  of 
many  battles  and  we  have  marched  together  under 
the  old  flag  of  our  country,  but  now  I  have  enlisted 
for  life  under  the  blood-stained  banner  of  Christ.  I 
now  cut  off  all  retreating  bridges,  comrades ;  if  you 
will  not  go  with  me  I  cannot  come  back  to  you.'' 

As  he  sat  down  there  was  a  murmur  of  applause 
and  many  a  deep  heart  felt  **Amen"  went  through 
all  that  audience,  for  all  knew  that  Azariah  Doane 
meant  what  he  said  and  that  the  church  had  received 
a  true  soldier  of  the  cross,  that  he  who  had  been  a 
true  soldier  for  his  country  would  now  be  a  true  sol- 
dier in  the  army  of  the  Lord. 

I  think  all  the  county  officers  at  Wilmington 
were  converted  at  this  meeting  and  a  number  of  law- 
yers besides  those  mentioned;  also  many  heads  of 
families,  and  the  influence  of  the  meeting  was  felt 
to  a  marked  degree  all  over  the  country.  Twenty- 
five  years  and  more  have  passed  since  then,  many 
changes  have  taken  place,  fortunes  have  been  made 
and  fortunes  have  been  lost,  but  the  fruits  of  that 
revival  meeting  still  remain  and  much  of  the  seed 
sown  has  brought  forth  an  hundred  fold,  but  the  full 
results  will  not  be  known  until  the  harvest  at  the  con- 
summation of  all  things. 

A  meeting  house  was  purchased  in  Wilmington, 
a  large  and  flourishing  meeting  and  Sabbath  School 
has  been  maintained  ever  since,  and  the  people  who 
have  borne  the  burden  of  caring  for  and  maintaining 


106  Wilmington  College, 

this  churcli  and  Sabbath  School,  many  of  them  are 
those  who  were  converted  at  this  meeting ;  and  now, 
1906,  Friends  have  another  meeting-house,  cut  stone, 
that  cost  twenty  thousand  dollars. 

Wilmington  College, 

South  of  the  town  of  Wilmington,  and  in  the 
suburbs,  the  Cambelites  had  erected  on  some  beauti- 
ful grounds  a  fine  brick  building  for  college  pur- 
poses, but  it  had  become  so  burdened  with  debt  that 
they  had  to  sell  it.  The  religious  zeal  and  faith  of 
Friends,  awakened  hy  the  revival,  was  equal  to  the 
task,  and  the  building  and  grounds  were  purchased 
by  them.  A  school  was  started  that  has  been  main- 
tained with  credit  and  profit  to  the  church  and 
country  ever  since,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that 
to  this  series  of  meetings  the  planting  of  Wilmington 
College  was  largely  due. 

We  made  our  home  at  Cyrus  Lenton's  during 
our  stay  at  Wilmington.  May  God  bless  them  for- 
ever for  their  care  and  kindness  to  us  and  our  chil- 
dren while  there. 

One  day  a  little  girl  kept  following  Esther 
around,  and  in  a  half  timid  and  confiding  manner, 
said:  **I  want  to  tell  thee  something!''  And  when 
Esther  inquired  what  she  wanted,  she  said:  ''If  I  did 
not  know  thee  was  a  preacher,  I  would  not  know  it." 
**And  why  would  thee  not  know  it,  my  dear?"  said 
Esther.  ''Because  thee  is  not  stiff  like  other  preach- 
ers, and  I  like  thee  better  because  thee  is  not  stiff." 


Letter  From  Wilmington,  107 

Letter  From  Wilmington. 
(Correspondence  of  the  Chronicle.) 
^^WiLMiNGTON,  Ohio,  Feb.  1st,  1870. 

RELIGIOUS. 

Wilmington  has  a  sensation.  This  quiet,  staid 
community  has  a  revival— strangely  enough,  a  Qua- 
ker revival.  It  seems  paradoxical,  but  nevertheless 
it  is  true  that  a  religious  revival  is  now  going  on  here 
under  the  lead  of  Quakers,  that  ancient  order  of 
quiet  non-demonstrative  religionists,  who  have  so 
long  opposed  all  religious  excitement,  preferring  the 
inner  workings  of  the  spirit  to  the  outer  fiction  of 
bodily  fervor,  and  who  in  their  imobtrusive,  practical 
way,  have  been  the  leaders  of  some  of  the  greatest 
reforms  of  modern  days. 

Among  those  who  are  clad  with  zeal  for  religion 
and  who  believe  that  Quakerism  should  become  ag- 
gressive are  four  young  preachers,  Robert  W.  Doug- 
las, John  Henry  Douglas,  Nathan  T.  Frame  and 
Esther  G.  Frame. 

Mrs.  Esther  Frame  is  a  remarkable  woman  and 
wonderful  preacher.  She  is  gifted.  Her  dramatic 
powers  are  great.  I  would  not  say  she  acts,  for  her 
face  is  lit  up  with  a  truthful  and  devout  soul  when 
she  pleads  for  Jesus,  but  nature  has  given  her  genius, 
a  voice  of  exquisite  sweetness,  of  thrilling  pathos; 
when  she  discusses  the  beauties  of  heaven  you  see 
a  surpassing  glory;  when  she  pictures  the  condition 
of  the  lost,  you  walk  in  Dante's  Inferno.  Nathan  T. 
Frame,  her  husband,  is  a  man  of  fine  ability  and  full 
of  ideas.  These  four  dropped  in  on  this  commimity 
about  two  weeks  ago,  and  almost  without  knowing 
how  it  came  about,  we  were  at  once  in  the  midst  of  a 


108  New  Burlington. 

great  revival.    Each  night  new  zeal  is  born  and  the 
movement  stretches  out  to  encompass  the  town. 

Converts  flock  in,  the  most  hardened  are  sub- 
dued. A  subtle  agency— caU  it  what  you  will- 
sways  the  people  and  brings  to  the  foot  of  the  cross 
that  mystical,  yet  wonderful  cross,  that  has  led  the 
advancing  civilization  of  the  world  for  so  many  cen- 
turies. 

New  Burlington. 

New  Burlington  is  a  little  village  of  some  two 
hundred  inhabitants  in  Clinton  County,  Ohio,  and 
situated  on  Cesar's  Creek,  a  large  creek  that  flows 
into  the  little  Miami  River.  The  village  is  sur- 
roimded  by  a  very  rich  and  productive  agricultural 
country.  There  was  no  Friends  meeting  in  the  vil- 
lage ;  the  meeting  house  of  Friends  was  two  or  more 
males  in  the  country. 

It  was  thought  best  to  hold  our  series  of  meet- 
ings in  the  village,  as  many  of  the  Friends  lived  near 
it  and  there  were  good  roads  leading  into  it  from  all 
directions.  We  were  offered  a  meeting  house  that 
the  Wesleyan  Methodists  had  formerly  occupied. 

Cesar's  Creek  monthly  meeting  of  Friends  is 
one  of  the  oldest  meetings  in  this  part  of  Ohio  and  is 
a  branch  of  Miami  quarterly  meeting. 

There  had  never  been  a  series  of  meetings  held 
among  Friends  in  the  limits  of  Miami  quarterly 
meeting,  and  there  were  some  among  the  older  mem- 
bers who  would  not  give  any  sanction  to  the  meetings 
by  their  presence,  or  any  other  way,  and  there  was 
much  discussion  with  regard  to  these  meetings,  and 
then  someone  who  would  be  moved  by  the  spirit 
would  kneel  and  offer  a  heartfelt  prayer  for  these 
seekers;  there  might  be  two  or  three,  or  even  more 
Friends  warned  their  children  against  attend- 


Nathan  and  E^^thkr  Frame,  At  Prestonh  Hall. 
Wilmington,  Ohio,   1870. 


Netv  Burlington  Meetings,  109 

ing  them;  but  this  advice  only  seemed  to  make  the 
young  friends  and  other  people  more  anxious  to  go. 

New  Burlington  Meetings. 

They  were  determined  to  know  for  themselves 
whether  the  meetings  were  really  as  bad  as  some  had 
reported,  besides  there  were  many  who  were  hunger- 
ing for  salvation.  The  meetings  were  conducted 
much  the  same  as  they  had  been  at  Wilmington— 
entirely  without  singing;  neither  were  people  asked 
to  come  forward  for  prayer.  There  was  preaching, 
vocal  prayer,  testimony,  confession,  public  request 
for  prayer,  invitation  to  those  desiring  the  prayers 
of  the  church  to  make  it  known  by  arising  in  the  con- 
gregation ;  and  it  was  not  an  uncommon  occurrence 
to  see  a  dozen  or  twenty  arise  to  their  feet  at  once, 
prayers  were  offered,  while  some  of  the  penitents  or 
seekers  would  be  praying  for  themselves.  There  was 
no  attempt  at  programme  or  pursuing  what  might  be 
termed  any  regular  order;  there  was  most  always  a 
sermon  preached  by  some  one  of  us  each  evening,  but 
there  was  no  knowledge  between  us  who  should 
preach ;  we  trusted  to  the  Lord  to  lead  in  this  matter, 
as  in  all  other  matters. 

Sometimes  there  was  no  preaching— only  read- 
ing and  expounding  the  Scriptures.  There  was  no 
prearrangement  who  should  do  this. 

We  went  into  the  meeting,  took  our  seats  and 
waited  on  the  Lord  to  know  the  mind  of  the  spirit. 
There  was  no  attempt  to  suppress  the  manifestation 
of  the  spirit  that  was  working  mightily  among  the 
people,  and  yet  there  was  a  guiding  care  exercised  by 
those  who  had  more  immediate  care  of  the  meetings. 

One  night  after  these  meetings  had  been  in  pro- 
gress some  time,  two  of  the  most  prominent  and  influ- 


110  The  Hatvkins  Family, 

ential  Friends  who  had  not  before  attended  the  meet- 
ings, came  with  many  misgivings  and  much  preju- 
dice to  see  for  themselves.  Souls  were  converted  that 
night  and  these  two  Friends  had  their  prejudices  all 
taken  away  and  near  the  close  of  the  meetings  Jesse 
Spray  (one  of  the  friends  mentioned)  stood  upon 
one  of  the  benches  in  the  midst  of  the  throng  of  peo- 
ple and  said:  *' Friends,  these  are  not  drunken  with 
new  wine,  but  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  here  among 
the  people."  This  series  of  meetings  only  continued 
about  ten  days. 

We  were  kindly  entertained  at  Phalez  Comp- 
ton's,  and  he  and  dear  Mother  Compton  gave  us  their 
most  cordial  and  earnest  support  and  their  prayers. 
These  dear  precious  ones  have  finished  their  work  on 
earth  and  gone  to  join  the  many  loved  ones  who  are 
numbered  among  the  redeemed,  among  the  church 
triumphant. 

These  friends  had  three  children  at  home,  two 
yoimg  women  and  a  son ;  all  of  them  were  converted 
at  this  meeting  and  are  very  useful  Christian 
workers. 

The  Hawkins  Family, 

Amos  and  Massey  Hawkins,  living  about  one- 
half  mile  from  the  meeting,  had  a  family  of  five  boys, 
two  of  them  married.  The  unmarried  ones  living  at 
their  father's  home,  Amos  and  Massey,  were  de- 
voted Christians,  and  Massey  was  one  of  the  most 
efficient  workers  in  the  meetings.  She  was 
an  elder— a  noble  wife  and  mother,  who  earnestly 
besought  the  Lord  for  the  conversion  of  her  children, 
and  the  prayers  of  the  father  and  mother 
were  answered ;  all  their  children  were  most  wonder- 
fully converted,  and  the  wives  of  the  two  sons  who 
were  married  were  also  saved. 


Massa  Hawkins. 


The  Hawkins  Family.  Ill 

There  was  quite  a  scene  at  the  old  home  one 
night ;  the  Lord  had  pimgently  convicted  the  children 
and  they  went  from  the  meeting  to  pray  and 
consecrate  themselves  to  God.  One  of  the  boys  went 
into  the  cellar,  another  one  to  the  barn,  and  the  third 
one  went  up  stairs,  and,  like  Jacob  of  old,  they  were 
determined  not  to  let  the  Saviour  go  until  they  had 
received  the  blessing.  And  God,  true  to  His  promise, 
which  says:  '*In  the  day  thou  seekest  Me  with  the 
whole  heart  I  wiU  be  found  of  thee."  Two  of  them, 
Jehu  and  Jesse,  were  converted  that  night. 

James,  one  of  the  married  sons,  and  his  wife, 
Mary,  who  had  gone  to  their  father's,  were  also  seek- 
ers and  were  in  different  parts  of  the  house  praying. 
James  was  converted  first  and  his  wife  soon  after- 
ward, and  the  old  home  was  made  vocal  with  their 
praises  and  thanksgiving;  their  mourning  had  been 
turned  into  joy  and  all  had  found  the  Saviour  but 
Benjamin,  the  youngest  of  the  family;  but  in  a 
night  or  two  after  this  at  the  meeting  some 
one  in  the  audience  was  heard  calling  for  mercy, 
the  house  being  densely  filled  with  people,  and 
soon  Massey  Hawkins  came  to  Esther  and  said:  ^*I 
want  thee  to  go  and  pray  for  Benjamin;  he  is  my 
'bahy  hoy,  and  all  of  my  boys  are  converted  but  him.. 
Then  Esther  went  and  prayed  with  him.  We  do  not 
know  whether  he  was  converted  that  night  or  no,  but 
he  was  converted  during  the  meetings. 

A  Friends'  Meeting  Established. 

Three  of  the  sons  are  now  recorded  ministers. 
They  are  an  honor  to  the  community  in  which  they 
live,  have  been  very  acceptable  and  efficient  ministers 
and  workers  in  the  church  for  a  number  of  years. 
The  house  in  which  the  meetings  were  held  was  pur- 


112  A  Friends  Meeting  Established. 

chased  by  Friends,  a  meeting  organized  and  a  good 
Sabbath  School  commenced. 

At  the  close  of  this  series  of  meetings  we  took 
leave  of  our  friend,  John  Henry  Douglas.  We  had 
been  engaged  in  holding  meetings  together  for  the 
past  six  months. 

Many  hundreds  of  people  had  been  converted 
and  many  had  joined  the  Society  of  Friends.  We 
had  been  engaged  in  a  common  cause  and  had  labored 
in  harmony  together.  We  had  prayed  for  and  sym- 
pathized with  each  other.  We  had  rejoiced  over  the 
victories  we  had  obtained  through  Christ  and  over 
the  many  souls  that  had  been  brought  from  darkness 
to  light.  But  now  the  time  had  come  for  us  to  sep- 
arate, and  we  bade  each  other  farewell. 

We  Return  to  Richmond. 

After  the  conclusion  of  the  meetings  at  Burling- 
ton we  returned  to  Richmond  and  remained  at  home 
for  a  time  to  take  rest  and  make  arrangements 
for  work  that  had  been  pressing  on  our  hearts 
for  some  time.  Our  finances  were  very  limited. 
During  our  winter's  work  in  Ohio  many  friends  had 
been  kind  to  us  and  furnished  us  some  clothing ;  we 
had  also  received  some  small  sums  of  money.  But 
our  house  rent  at  Richmond  was  to  be  paid  and  it  took 
nearly  all  the  money  we  had  received.  We  attended 
our  monthly  meeting  at  Dover  and  obtained  the  sanc- 
tion of  Friends  to  engage  in  some  general  Gospel 
work  in  a  few  places  in  the  limits  of  Indiana  and 
Iowa  yearly  meetings.  This  minute  included  the 
sanction  to  visit  jails,  penitentiaries  and  appoint 
some  meetings  among  friends  and  others.  We  were 
under  the  necessity  of  taking  our  children  with  us  to 
the  places  where  we  held  meetings  and  find  a  suitable 


We  Return  to  Richmond.  113 

place  for  them  at  some  friend's  house  or  some  place 
where  the  little  darlings  could  remain  while  we  did 
our  gospel  work,  then  take  them  and  go  on  to  the 
next  place. 

Summer  of  1870. 

In  the  beginning  of  May  we  went  to  New  Vienna, 
Ohio,  and  remained  a  few  days,  and  from  there  we 
went  to  Wilmington  on  our  way  to  visit  the  State's 
Prison  at  Columbus,  Ohio. 

We  had  been  informed  that  the  authorities  at 
Columbus  had  refused  to  admit  women  ministers 
into  the  Penitentiary  to  visit  and  preach  to  the  pris- 
oners, so  we  thought  best  to  ask  some  of  our  friends 
at  Wilmington  to  give  us  a  letter  of  introduction  to 
Governor  R.  B.  Hayes.  (This  was  before  he  was 
elected  President  of  the  United  States.)  I  copy  be- 
low our  letter  to  the  Governor : 

Office  Doane  &  Betts, 
Attorneys-at-Law. 

''Wilmington^  Ohio,  May  13th,  1870. 
Governor  R.  B.  Hayes, 

Columbus,  Ohio: 
Dear  Governor:— Our  esteemed  friends,  the 
bearers  hereof,  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame,  ministers 
of  the  Gospel  in  the  Society  of  Friends,  having  a  re- 
ligious concern  to  visit  the  City  of  Columbus,  and 
especially  the  convicts  in  the  Ohio  Penitentiary,  and 
be  with  them  on  Sabbath  and  hold  religious  services 
at  the  usual  hour  for  such  service  in  the  institution, 
they  being  strangers  in  your  city,  and  there  probably 
being  some  question  as  to  the  ''admission  of  strangers 
among  the  workmen,"  we  take  pleasure  in  recom- 
mending these  ministers,  and  hope  by  reason  of  their 


114  Visit  to  Columbus,  Ohio. 

devotion  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  in  the  interest  of 
humanity,  their  good  character  and  their  ability  to 
preach  Christ  and  Him  crucified,  that  their  wish  in 
behalf  of  the  unfortunate  convicts  may  meet  with 
favor  from  those  in  authority  at  Columbus. 

A  word.  Governor,  from  you,  will  be  kindly  re- 
ceived and  appreciated  by  these  applicants  and  gain 
for  them  admission  on  their  religious  concern.  It 
will  not  be  out  of  place  to  remark  of  Esther  Frame 
(as  there  is  some  prejudice  against  women  preach- 
ing) that  she  is  not  only  a  good  woman,  but  a  sen- 
sible, practical,  intelligent  and  eloquent  preacher. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  W.  DOANE, 

Madison  Betts, 

E.  E.  DOANE. 

With  this  letter  of  introduction  we  went  to  the 
City  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  arriving  there  Saturday 
morning.  May  14th,  1870,  and  after  we  had  secured  a 
room  in  a  good  hotel  we  went  to  see  Governor  Hayes 
and  present  our  letter  to  him.    We  found  him  at 

Visit  To  Columbus,  Ohio. 

the  Executive  Department,  and  he  received  us 
very  kindly,  and  we  had  a  pleasant  conversation  with 
him,  and  when  he  had  read  the  letter  of  introduction 
from  our  friends  at  Wilmington,  he  wrote  the  fol- 
lowing to  the  Warden  of  the  Ohio  Penitentiary: 

State  of  Ohio, 
Executive  Department. 

Columbus,  May  14:th,  1870. 
Col.  R.  Burr,  Warden,  Etc.,  Etc. : 

The  bearers  of  this,  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame, 
have  a  religious  concern  to  visit  the  O.  P.    They  are 


Columbus,  Ohio,  116 

ministers  and  excellent  people.  I  hope  you  will  give 
them  every  proper  facility  to  visit  the  prison  and 
prisoners  today,  and  on  Sunday. 

Their  testimonials  are  of  the  highest  character. 
Sincerely, 

R.  B.  Hayes. 

We  went  from  the  Governor's  Mansion  back  to 
our  hotel  and  in  the  afternoon  went  to  see  the  War- 
den at  the  Penitentiary. 

We  introduced  ourselves  to  him,  told  him  our 
business,  that  we  were  ministers  in  the  Society  of 
Friends,  and  then  presented  him  Governor  Hayes' 
letter. 

Columbus  Penitentiary, 

When  he  had  finished  reading  this  letter,  he 
seemed  quite  much  embarrased  and  expressed  to  us 
his  surprise,  and  began  to  explain  that  some  minis- 
ters had  recently  been  refused  just  such  privileges 
as  we  now  sought. 

We  informed  him  that  we  were  in  possession  of 
the  facts  he  stated  before  we  came ;  that  we  were  not 
here  to  discuss  the  matter,  but  here  to  present  our 
credentials,  and  ask  for  an  interview  with  the  prison- 
ers in  the  Ohio  Penitentiary,  and  have  the  privilege 
of  preaching  to  them  on  the  Sabbath,  at  the  usual 
hour  of  holding  their  meeting  in  the  Prison  Chapel. 

Without  replying  further,  he  began  pacing  back 
and  forth  across  his  office  floor,  but  soon  halted  in 
front  of  where  we  were  sitting.  He  remarked  "Well, 
I  suppose  you  must  be  granted  the  privilege  you  de- 
sire, but  you  must  also  see  the  Chaplain  and  make 
arrangements  with  him." 

The  Chaplain  was  a  Presbyterian  Minister  and 
of  course  had  no  sympathy  with  a  woman  preaching 
to  the  prisoners. 


116  Ohio  Penitentiary. 

He  was  at  Ms  home  four  or  five  squares  away 
from  the  Penitentiary,  so  we  repaired  to  his  residence 
to  make  the  final  arrangement  with  him,  and  find  out 
the  time  of  meeting  on  the  morrow. 

When  we  arrived  we  found  him  at  home  and 
were  invited  into  his  study.  He  had  on  his  dressing 
gown  and  slippers,  and  in  a  very  pompous  manner 
invited  us  to  be  seated,  and  seated  himself,  and 
waited  for  us  to  make  known  our  errand,  which  I 
soon  did,  and  handed  him  our  letter  from  Governor 
Hayes,  also  informing  him  that  Col.  Burr,  the  War- 
den, had  given  his  consent  for  us  to  have  the  meeting 
with  the  prisoners. 

Without  reading  the  Governor's  letter,  or  pay- 
ing any  respectful  attention  to  my  remarks  he  arose, 
and  in  a  very  excited  manner  said:  "When  I  want 
any  one  to  preach  for  me  I  send  for  them. ' ' 

I  told  him  we  had  no  thought  of  preaching  for 
him,  or  for  anyone  else,  our  mission  was  to  preach 
to  the  prisoners,  and  so  far  as  he  was  concerned  we 
had  not  known  of  his  identity  until  now. 

"Well,"  said  he,  "I  am  a  Presbyterian  and  do 
not  believe  in  women  preaching/'  I  told  him  we  did 
not  need  to  be  informed  what  Presbyterians  be- 
lieved, we  knew  what  their  theology  was;  that  as 
Quakers  we  chose  to  study  the  Bible  for  ourselves, 
and  if  he  would  be  kind  enough  to  read  the  Gover- 
nor's letter,  and  make  his  decision,  we  should  be 
ready  soon  to  depart.  So  when  the  Chaplain  found 
that  we  could  not  be  put  aside,  he  read  the  Governor's 
letter  and  after  a  pause  said:  "I  suppose  I  shall 
have  to  comply  with  the  request.  So  it  was  arranged 
that  we  should  preach  to  the  men  in  the  Prison 
Chapel  in  the  morning  at  11  o'clock,  and  in  the 
women's  prison  in  the  afternoon,  and  visit  some  of 
the  sick. 


Ohio  Penitentiary.  117 

The  Cliaplain  opened  the  morning  meeting  with 
prayer,  I  read  the  scriptural  lesson,  and  Esther 
preached  the  sermon,  and  then  we  had  the  Chaplain 
close  the  meeting  in  order  that  he  might  open  and 
close  the  meeting  for  a  woman. 

The  Warden  of  the  Penitentiary  was  with  us  at 
both  the  meetings,  and  at  the  conclusion  of  the  morn- 
ing meeting  came  and  insisted  that  we  dine  with  him, 
and  remain  there  and  rest  until  the  afternoon,  which 
we  accepted.  He  was  much  tendered  in  the  morning 
meeting  and  manifested  his  kindness  in  every  way 
he  could,  and  said  we  should  be  more  than  welcome 
to  preach  there  at  any  future  time  we  wished,  as  long 
as  he  remained.  The  Chaplain,  too,  seemed  like  an- 
other kind  of  person  after  the  meeting  and  thanked 
us  for  coming.  The  meetings  were  certainly  blessed 
of  the  Lord.  The  Warden,  without  any  solicitation 
wrote  and  gave  us  the  following  letter : 

Warden's  Office, 
Ohio  Penitentiary. 

Columbus^  May  18,  1870. 

Nathan  and  Esther  Frame  spent  the  last  Sab- 
bath (yesterday)  in  this  prison  spealdng  to  the  men 
in  the  morning  and  at  the  female  prison  and  in  the 
Hospital  during  the  afternoon.  Their  visit  has  been 
pleasant  and  I  trust  profitable,  especially  at  the 
female  prison,  where  a  very  interesting  season  was 
spent  with  promise  of  good. 

R.  BuER,  Warden. 

What  the  permanent  results  for  good  to  the  poor 
unfortunate  men  and  women  in  the  Penitentiary  was 
we  could  not  tell,  but  the  effect  at  the  time  was  such 
as  only  the  story  of  Jesus  and  his  love  can  have  on 
the  sinful,  and  we  are  led  to  believe  that  some  seed 


118  Religious  Visit  to  Iowa, 

was  sown  that  day  that  shall  bring  fruit  unto  eternal 
life. 

We  returned  from  Columbus  to  New  Vienna, 
Ohio,  where  we  had  left  our  children ;  remained  there 
a  day  or  two,  and  then  went  to  our  home  in  Rich- 
mond, Indiana. 

Religious  Visit  To  Iowa. 

We  did  not  remain  at  Richmond  long,  attended 
a  few  meetings,  visited  our  own  monthly  meeting 
(Dover),  secured  the  indorsement  of  our  friends  to 
attend  Iowa  yearly  meeting,  and  visited  some  States 
Prisons  and  held  some  gospel  meetings,  going  and 
returning. 

About  the  middle  of  July  we,  with  our  two  little 
girls,  started  for  Iowa,  proposing  to  spend  a  few  days 
at  Salem  with  our  people,  and  leave  the  children  with 
them  while  we  were  at  work.  We  spent  a  few  days 
at  Dear  Mother  and  Father  Gordon's,  and  with  my 
people,  visiting.  Held  some  meetings  in  Salem  quar- 
terly meeting  limits,  and  then  went  to  visit  the  States 
Prison  at  Ft.  Madison,  Iowa.  Our  letter  of  recom- 
mendation from  other  prison  officials  gave  us  ready 
access  and  we  had  good  liberty  in  preaching  the  gos- 
pel and  I  copy  here  the  letter  given  us  by  the  Warden 
of  the  Iowa  States  Prison : 

Warden's  Office, 
Iowa  State  Penitentiary. 
Ft.  Madison,  Iowa,  Aug.  1st,  1870. 
To  the  Wardens  of  the  Illinois  and  Minnesota  State 

Prisons : 

Gentlemen— This  will  introduce  to  you  Kathan 
and  Esther  Frame,  Ministers  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  who  are  visiting  States  Prisons  for  the  pur- 
pose of  giving  religious  instruction.    They  are  de- 


lotva  Penitentiary.  119 

voted  and  pious  Christians  and  I  would  recommend 
them  to  your  kind  care  and  consideration. 
Very  respectfully, 

Maetin  Husey,  Warden. 

We  took  boat  from  Ft.  Madison,  Iowa,  for  St. 
Paul,  Minnesota,  August  8th,  1870.  At  times  it  was 
a  great  trial  to  leave  the  darling  little  children. 

I  call  to  mind  there  came  a  sense  of  loneliness 
over  us,  after  the  Great  River  Steamer  had  swung 
out  from  the  shore,  and  we  could  hear  the  little  child- 
ren call,  *'Papa!  Mamma!  Good  bye,  come  home  as 
soon  as  you  can."  Then  adding,  **But  stay  as  long 
as  you  think  best." 

We  were  four  days  making  the  trip  from  Ft. 
Madison  to  Minneapolis.  The  next  day  after  arriv- 
ing we  held  a  street  meeting,  hundreds  of  people  at- 
tended.   This  meeting  was  Sabbath  night. 

On  Tuesday  we  went  to  Stillwater  to  visit  the 
Minnesota  State  Prison.  As  we  entered  the  recep- 
tion room  of  the  prison  there  was  an  old  man  came 
in  also,  accompanied  by  a  young  man  and  a  young 
woman;  they  were  his  children.  The  young  man 
went  innnediately  to  the  Warden  and  said:  *'This 
old  man  wants  to  see  his  son. ' '  When  the  name  of  his 
son  was  mentioned,  the  old  man's  tears  fell  fast  upon 
the  office  floor.  The  young  man  mentioned  was  a  life 
prisoner,  he  had  killed  a  man  while  imder  the  influ- 
ence of  intoxicating  drink. 

When  we  preached  to  the  men  in  the  prison,  this 
young  man  was  pointed  out  to  us  and  he  was  a  fine 
specimen  of  physical  manhood  and  fair  appearing. 
Oh !  the  curse  of  strong  drink. 

The  young  man  wept  as  we  preached  to  the  pris- 
oners. We  had  now  finished  our  mission  to  the 
prison,  and  returned  to  Iowa,  and  from  there  to  Rich- 
mond, Indiana,  where  we  remained,  and  attended  the 


120  Newport,  Indiana, 

Friends  meeting  at  White  Water  during  the  sum- 
mer, and  did  some  gospel  work  in  the  city  and  county 
near  by. 

During  the  summer  our  children  attended  the 
White  Water  Friends  school  on  the  old  Yearly 
Meeting-house  grounds. 

In  the  autumn  we  held  some  meetings  at  New- 
port, Indiana,  (Fountain  City.)  The  Friends 
meeting-house  here  was  very  large.  It  had  been  the 
old  Anti- Slavery  meeting-house.  At  the  first  meet- 
ing or  two  we  only  occupied  one  room,  but  the  entire 
house  was  then  opened  and  still  there  was  not  room 
sufficient  for  the  crowds  who  came.  People  of  all 
denominations  and  classes  came;  the  aisles  were 
filled  and  all  around  the  walls  people  stood  all 
through  the  meetings,  and  many  were  nightly  turned 
away  for  want  of  room. 

Newport,  Wayne  County,  Indiana,  1870. 

This  was  the  first  series  of  meetings  that  had 
ever  been  held  in  a  Friends  meeting-house  in  the 
limits  of  New  Garden  Quarterly  Meeting.  Joel 
Parker,  the  leading  elder  of  Newport  meeting,  sat  at 
the  head  of  the  meeting  and  always  indicated  when  it 
was  time  to  conclude. 

We  made  no  attempt  to  do  anjrthing  that  was 
not  sanctioned  by  the  elders  and  those  in  authority. 

At  the  close  of  each  meeting  we  would  ask  if 
Friends  were  willing  for  us  to  appoint  another  meet- 
ing, and  invariably  Joel  Parker,  after  a  few  moments 
waiting,  would  arise,  and  in  a  quiet  way  remark, 
*'Well,  Friends,  we  must  acknowledge  that  the  Lord 
has  been  with  us,  and  I  think  the  Friends  might  be 
granted  another  meeting;''  and  after  this  manner  the 
meetings  were  continued  until  the  time  when  it  was 
thought  best  to  proceed  no  further. 


New  Garden,  Indiana.  121 

While  the  Friends  endorsed  us  and  our  preach- 
ing, they  much  feared  a  spirit  of  ''ranterism"  might 
develop,  so  they  desired  to  suppress  any  noisy  demon- 
stration or  prevent  them  from  occurring.  The  meet- 
ings increased  nightly  in  interest  and  there  was  an 
intense  religious  feeling  among  the  people  that  might 
culminate  in  an  upheaval  and  some  might  break  out 
into  singing  or  praising  the  Lord  vocally,  or  sinners 
might  cry  aloud  as  they  did  in  the  days  of  the  Apos- 
tles, ' ' God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner. "  So  great  care 
was  taken  to  prevent  anything  of  this  kind. 

We  were  frequently  admonished  "That  all 
things  should  be  done  decently  and  in  order,"  mean- 
ing that  nothing  should  be  done  differently  from  what 
occurred  in  an  ordinary  "Friends  meeting."  But 
with  the  intense  interest  and  the  large  crowds  in  at- 
tendance it  was  evident  that  ere  long  there  would  be 
greater  demonstrations,  so  when  the  meetings  had 
continued  about  one  week  each  night  and  we  asked 
for  the  continuance  of  the  meetings  another  night, 
Joel  Parker  arose  and  remarked : 

"Well,  Friends,  while  we  must  say  that  the 
meetings  have  been  greatly  favored  of  the  Lord,  we 
think  the  Friends  might  feel  free  and  that  the  meet- 
ings proceed  no  further  at  this  time."  And  we  con- 
cluded our  work. 

Netv  Garden,  Wayne  County,  Indiana,  1871. 

We  were  now  earnestly  pressed  by  Luke 
Thomas,  the  head  elder  of  Friends  meeting  at  New 
Garden,  to  hold  some  meetings  with  Friends  there. 
New  Garden  was  only  3,  short  distance  from  New- 
port. The  meetings  at  New  Garden  were  much  the 
same  as  at  Newport.  Some  Friends  were  quite  fear- 
ful of  having  night  meetings.  Quite  a  number  pro- 
fessed conversion  and  many  Friends  spoke  in  the 


122  Pastors  at  Neiv  Burlington,  Ohio, 

meetings  and  praised  the  Lord  vocally  for  the  first 
time.  No  one  sang,  neither  was  there  an  invitation 
given  for  any  to  stand  on  their  feet,  as  desiring  the 
prayers  of  Christians.  Sometimes  people  rose  and 
made  known  that  they  were  seekers  and  expressed  a 
determination  to  give  themselves  entirely  to  the  Lord. 
There  was  a  deep  seriousness  pervading  the  assem- 
blies at  all  times.  One  of  the  principal  elders  who 
had  been  from  home  on  business  walked  seven  miles 
to  get  to  the  meeting. 

As  at  Newport,  after  the  meetings  had  been  in 
progress  one  week  we  were  compelled  to  close  them 
in  order  to  avoid  extraordinary  demonstrations, 
which  at  this  time  would  have  greatly  hindered  the 
revival  work  among  Friends  meetings  in  the  future. 

These  meetings  were  but  the  beginning  of  the 
revival  work. 

Pastors  at  New  Burlington,  Ohio. 

In  March,  1871,  we  removed  from  Richmond, 
Indiana,  to  New  Burlington,  Clinton  County,  Ohio, 
in  the  limits  of  Miami  Quarterly  Meeting.  A  friend 
at  New  Burlington  owned  a  little  house  in  the  village 
that  he  proposed  to  let  us  have  free  of  rent  for  a  time 
if  we  felt  like  coming. 

We  felt  called  into  Ohio  to  work  and  we  accepted 
the  kind  offer  of  the  friend.  Of  course  we  were  not 
promised  any  remuneration  in  any  way  except  the 
rent  of  the  little  house  for  a  few  months.  This  was 
considered  great  liberality. 

All  the  Friends  meetings  were  closed  against 
revival  work  three  years  before. 

During  the  summer  of  1871  we  held  no  series  of 
meetings,  but  attended  the  new  meeting  at  Burling- 
ton and  preached  to  them,  visited  some  of  the  meet- 


A  New  Coat.  123 

ings  in  Fairfield  Quarterly  Meeting  and  places  where 
we  had  held  protracted  meetings. 

I  remember  that  it  was  necessary  for  us  to  prac- 
tice rigid  economy  so  that  we  might  still  remain  in 
the  field,  for  all  the  resources  we  had  when  we  began 
the  work  had  been  exhausted  and  our  house  at  that 
time  was  supplied  with  but  very  few  articles  of  fur- 
niture of  the  most  common  kind. 

Our  wardrobe  had  been  a  little  replenished  dur- 
ing the  past  winter,  but  my  coat,  the  one  I  wore  to 
meeting,  was  in  quite  a  dilapidated  condition. 

The  New  Coat. 

I  had  thought  little  about  it  myself,  but  one  Sat- 
urday afternoon  Joseph  Painter  came  to  our  house, 
and  after  having  a  little  friendly  talk  with  us,  desired 
me  to  walk  up  to  the  village  dry  goods  store  with  him. 
As  we  went  along  he  said  he  thought  I  needed  a  new 
coat  and  he  would  get  me  one  if  I  would  accept  it.  I 
thanked  him  and  told  him  that  I  would.  We  selected 
one  that  was  as  nearly  suitable  as  we  could  find 
among  the  limited  stock  of  ready-made  clothing  at 
the  store. 

The  coat  was  rather  a  nice  black  cloth,  with  the 
waist  a  little  too  large  and  a  little  long;  the  skirts 
were  short,  the  sleeves  large  and  baggy,  the  lapels 
turned  far  down,  but  taken  altogether  the  new  coat 
looked  'better  than  the  old  one. 

But  the  difficulty  and  embarrassment  about  it 
was  all  the  congregation  would  know  that  I  had  a 
new  coat,  for  in  a  little  village  all  such  things  are 
scrutinized  closely. 

Esther  was  not  well  enough  to  go  to  meeting  on 
this  Sabbath,  so  I  had  to  go  alone  and  face  the  people 
and  preach  in  my  new  coat. 


124  Winter  of  1871. 

I  suggested  to  Esther  that  perhaps  I  had  better 
wear  the  old  one,  but  she  insisted  that  as  Joseph  was 
generous  enough  to  give  me  the  coat,  I  might  make 
him  feel  badly  if  I  did  not  wear  it,  and  I  wore  the 
new  coat  for  Joseph's  sake,  and  also  to  help  my 
appearance  a  little. 

I  went  to  the  meeting ;  the  house  was  well  filled 
and  I  had  entirely  forgotten  the  new  coat ;  I  was  all 
absorbed  in  my  theme  and  preaching  when  my  eyes 
happened  to  fall  upon  the  benevolent  face  of  Joseph 
Painter  and  instantly  I  thought  of  my  new  coat  with 
the  short  shirts,  the  long  waist  and  large  ^aggy 
sleeves;  I  thought  the  whole  congregation  at  that 
moment  were  looking  at  me  and  taking  an  inventory 
of  my  new  coat ;  the  perspiration  ran  from  my  face, 
and  for  a  moment  I  had  a  terrible  struggle  with  that 
coat ;  a  good  sermon  came  near  being  spoiled,  but  the 
Lord  came  to  my  rescue  and  I  got  the  victory  even 
over  the  new  coat. 

Winter  of  1871. 

During  the  winter  of  1871  we  held  series  of 
meetings  at  the  following  places :  Ogden  Station,  in 
Clinton  County,  nine  miles  from  Wilmington;  at 
New  Vienna,  and  at  Fairview,  a  new  meeting  of 
Friends. 

The  effect  of  these  meetings  was  not  only  the 
conversion  of  souls  and  giving  new  life  and  Christian 
zeal  to  our  own  meetings,  but  all  other  denominations 
received  large  benefit  from  the  work  done. 

There  were  many  come  to  Friends  who  had 
never  had  any  special  association  with  any  body  of 
Christians ;  also  many  friends  who  had  become  disaf- 
fected toward  the  church,  came  back  and  resumed 
their  allegiance,  and  most  important  of  all  for  the 


Pastors  at  Harveyshurg,  Ohio,  125 

future  wellbeing  of  the  church;  the  Lord  laid  his 
hand  on  many  of  the  young  and  anointed  them  to 
preach  the  gospel,  and  others  who  were  converted 
became  teachers  in  our  schools  and  colleges,  taking 
into  these  centers  of  education  the  influence  of  a  con- 
secrated Christian  life.  The  older  Friends,  some  of 
them  at  least,  began  to  give  more  of  their  money  to 
benevolent  purposes  and  for  sustaining  the  work  of 
the  church. 

Pastors  at  Harveyshurg,  Ohio, 

We  shall  speak  more  of  these  church  matters  a 
little  further  on.  There  was  a  small  meeting  of 
Friends  at  Harveysburg,  Warren  Co.,  Ohio,  a  beauti- 
ful little  village  of  five  or  six  hundred  inhabitants. 

A  little  old  Friends  meeting-house,  in  a  beauti- 
ful part  of  the  town,  embowered  among  forest  trees, 
here  a  few  Friends,  not  more  than  three  families, 
met  twice  in  the  week  and  sat  an  hour  in  silence,  usu- 
ally, and  then  shook  hands  and  departed  to  their 
homes  and  business. 

There  were  many  people  in  and  around  Har- 
veysburg who  were  formerly  Friends,  but  many  of 
them  had  gone  off  into  infidelity  and  worldliness. 
To  this  town  we  came  from  New  Burlington  in  1872. 

John  Morris,  a  Friend,  rented  us  a  little  house 
and  agreed  to  pay  the  rent  for  one  year,  but  Friends 
expected  us  to  support  ourselves ;  to  furnish  a  min- 
ister with  a  house  was  something  that  had  never 
before  occurred,  and  it  was  thought  that  ministers 
ought  to  work  for  their  own  support  as  other  people 
did.  We  seemed  now  to  be  brought  into  a  close  place, 
as  I  had  given  up  school  teaching  and  we  were  spend- 
ing all  our  time  in  attending  and  holding  meetings. 
We  felt  a  little  like  Abraham  must  have  felt,  though 
we  did  not  see  all  that  was  before  us,  yet  we  were  fol- 
lowing the  Lord,  and  he  would  lead  us  safely. 


126  Pastors  at  Harveyshurg,  Ohio. 

We  had  left  a  warm  spiritual  meeting,  full  of 
life  and  power,  and  had  come  to  one  that  was  cold  and 
dead.  There  was  only  one  Sabbath  School  in  the 
town,  held  on  Sabbath  afternoon;  it  was  called  a 
Union  School,  and  well  it  might  be,  for  it  was  com- 
posed of  all  kinds  of  elements,  and  seemed  to  be  with- 
out any  governing  head,  being  under  the  control  of 
no  religious  denomination,  a  Universalist  being  the 
principal  teacher. 

We  told  our  friends  that  we  could  not  attend 
such  a  school  as  that  and  we  organized  a  Sabbath 
School  at  our  own  meeting  house. 

We  soon  had  a  good  and  prosperous  Sabbath 
School ;  the  Methodists,  who  had  a  small  meeting  in 
the  village,  bringing  their  children  and  young  people 
and  joining  in  with  us. 

There  were  a  great  many  infidels  in  the  com- 
munity who  were  very  bitter  in  their  feelings  against 
the  Bible  and  the  Christian  religion  and  mocked  at 
Christ  as  '*The  Saviour."  Many  of  them  were  de- 
scendants of  the  Hicksite  Quakers,  who  are  Unitari- 
ans, with  the  Quaker  name  and  form  of  worship; 
these  Hicksites  also  had  a  little  meeting  in  the  vil- 
lage, but  often  came  to  our  meetings. 

Our  meeting-house  soon  filled  up  and  the  little 
flock  that  had  been  scattered  in  the  cloudy  and  dark 
day  were  revived  and  we  knew  that  the  spirit  of  the 
Lord  was  at  work  among  the  people. 

We  preached  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified  as 
the  only  name  among  men  whereby  we  can  be  saved. 
Our  congregation  was  composed  largely  of  skeptics, 
and  some  of  them  noted  scoffers  at  the  Christian 
religion.  The  people  were  a  reading  and  intelli- 
gent people  in  a  general  way,  but  they  were  not  in- 
formed as  to  the    evidence   upon  which  intelligent 


Pastors  at  Harvey shurg,  Ohio.  127 

Christians  found  their  belief  with  regard  to  revealed 
religion  as  taught  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Very- 
many  were  in  a  darkened  state;  ''the  light  that  was 
in  them  was  darkness,  and  truly  their  darkness  was 
great."  But  they  were  good  kind  neighbors  and 
used  hospitality— a  good  kind  people,  as  far  as  Bible 
and  Christ  despisers  could  be.  We  do  not  want  to  be 
understood  that  they  were  worse  than  many  other 
communities  of  an  entirely  different  character. 
They  were  a  temperance  loving  community;  there 
were  no  saloons  in  the  village. 

With  few  exceptions  we  were  always  treated 
with  that  deference  and  kindness  to  which  we  were 
entitled  as  Christian  ministers.  There  was  a  very 
large  nmnber  of  most  excellent  womanly  tvomen  who 
had  been  educated  under  the  careful  training  of  the 
''Old  Time  Friends,"  and  though  they  had  been  led 
away  by  the  error  of  false  teachers,  they  were  excel- 
lent wives  and  mothers,  good  neighbors  and  most 
excellent  nurses  among  the  sick,  and  our  hearts 
yearned  over  them  and  we  constantly  prayed  that 
they  might  be  saved. 

We  held  no  series  of  meetings  in  Harveysburg 
during  the  summer,  but  were  at  the  Friends  regular 
meeting  when  at  home  on  Sabbath,  and  frequently 
had  meeting  on  Sabbath  night.  I  think  then  we  did 
not  sing  in  the  meetings ;  there  was  much  prejudice 
at  this  time  among  all  of  our  meetings  against  sing- 
ing in  meetings  for  worship. 

In  September  we  commenced  a  protracted  meet- 
ing and  many  were  converted,  and  some  joined  the 
Society  of  Friends.  Quite  a  number  joined  the 
Methodist  church  and  some  the  United  Brethren 
church.  There  was  a  great  refreshing  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord.  The  Lord  had  visited  his  peo- 
ple. 


128  Winchester,  Indiana. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Winchester,  Indiana. 

On  July  26th,  1871,  we  held  some  meetings  in  the 
Town  Hall  at  Winchester,  Randolph  County,  In- 
diana. There  was  no  Friends  meeting  in  Winchester 
at  this  date.  There  was  a  meeting  two  or  more  miles 
away  called  "White  River"  Monthlj^  Meeting. 
These  meetings  in  the  Town  Hall  created  quite  a  good 
deal  of  excitement  in  the  to^vn  and  county  around  for 
two  or  three  causes.  First,  it  was  a  new,  strange 
thing  for  Quakers  to  hold  protracted  meetings  and 
stranger  still  that  they  should  hold  such  a  meeting 
in  the  Town  Hall  and  away  from  a  Friends  meetin- 
house. 

Then  there  was  another  circumstance  that 
stirred  the  i^ublic  mind;  this  ''modern  Spiritism" 
was  gaining  some  prominence  there  through  a  lectur- 
ing medium,  and  some  of  the  Friends  w^ere  being 
drawn  into  this  "modern  delusion  of  the  devil,"  and 
in  our  meetings  we  took  special  care  to  show  what  the 
fruit  of  this  unholy  thing  was  and  how  it  divided 
households  and  sought  to  undermine  the  marriage  re- 
lation. 

The  tide  of  public  feeling  was  turned  against 
this  enemy  of  all  good,  and  this  spirit  medium,  who 
had  been  quite  popular,  left  in  disgrace. 

Farmington,  Netv  York. 

The  revival  spirit  that  had  been  manifesting 
itself  in  the  limits  of  Indiana  Yearl}^  Meeting  since 
1869  had  spread  to  all  the  yearly  meetings  of  Friends 
in  the  United  States  and  a  number  of  them  had  fol- 
lowed the  course  of  Indiana  Yearly  Meeting  in  the 


Farmington,  New  York.  129 

appointment  of  a  committee  to  hold  what  they  called 
''General  Meetings,"  to  be  held  at  such  place  as  the 
*' Committee"  thought  would  he  for  the  general  good 
of  the  church. 

New  York's  Committee  had  appointed  such  a 
meeting  and  among  other  ministers  from  Indiana 
we  were  invited  to  attend.  This  meeting  w^as  held  at 
FarniLngton,  New  York. 

Farmington  is  a  small  village  on  the  New  York 
Central  Railroad,  forty  miles  east  of  Rochester. 
The  country  around  Farmington  is  densely  popula- 
ted, and  in  the  center  of  an  old  settlement  of  Friends. 
Here,  as  elsewhere,  the  novelty  of  such  a  meeting 
among  the  Friends  brought  out  many  people  who 
otherwise  would  not  attend  any  meeting. 

The  Hicksite  Quakers  also  had  quite  a  large 
meeting-house  close  to  where  the  meetings  were  held. 

The  meetings  were  conducted  very  much  after 
the  usual  manner  of  conducting  Friends  meetings, 
with  this  difference,  though  all  claimed  to  wait  for 
the  spirit  to  move  them.  The  spirit  seemed  to  be 
moving  someone  to  engage  in  vocal  service  from  the 
time  the  meetings  opened  until  the  time  of  adjourn- 
ment of  each  session,  and  even  then  some  went  away 
without,  as  friends  say,  "Relieving  their  minds." 
There  was  no  need  to  urge  "Friends  to  be  faithful" 
to  deliver  their  messasje.  There  was  no  singing  in 
this  meeting  by  any  "Friend."  The  vocal  exercises 
were  confined  to  the  preaching  of  the  word,  public  or 
vocal  prayer,  and  a  few  "testimonies"  in  the  body  of 
the  meeting.  There  were  so  many  ministers  there 
and  they  seemed  so  willing  to  preach  that  there  was 
little  time  for  anyone  else.  But  singing  could  not 
then  have  been  engaged  in  with  edification  to  the 
meetings.  There  was  one  hymn  sung  in  one  of  the 
meetings   by  a  gentleman   who   was    a  member  of 


130  Brooklyn,  New  York. 

another  church.  We  thought  he  sang  very  sweetly, 
and  with  the  spirit  and,  with  the  understanding.  But 
Friends  were  very  much  tried  that  even  this  one  song 
should  have  been  sung.  There  was  a  large  niunber  of 
the  most  gifted  and  spiritually  minded  ministers  of 
the  Friends  Church  at  this  General  Meeting,  repre- 
senting the  aggressive  element.  Formalism  had 
crept  into  the  church  to  such  an  extent  that  almost 
all  the  yearly  meetings  were  in  a  decaying  condition ; 
many  of  our  best  young  men  and  women  were  being 
absorbed  by  other  churches.  But  it  now  became  evi- 
dent that  the  revival  that  had  begun  in  Indiana 
Yearly  Meeting  was  to  sweep  over  many  of  the  meet- 
ings in  the  United  States. 

There  were  many  earnest  men  and  women  in  the 
church  that  would  no  longer  be  satisfied  to  hold  their 
meetings,  as  many  of  them  had  been  held,  altogether 
silently ;  they  felt  that  the  Scriptural  views,  as  held 
by  Friends,  must  be  published  abroad,  that  we  must 
go  back  to  the  beginning,  and  preach  and  work  as  our 
people  had  at  the  first. 

We  came  home  to  Harveysburg  from  New  York 
and  remained  until  November,  when  we  went  to 
Brooklyn,  New  York,  to  attend  another  General 
Meeting. 

Brooklyn,  New  York, 

This  meeting  was  held  much  after  the  manner  of 
the  one  at  Farmington.  Some  of  the  Friends  here 
were  prominent  business  men  in  the  city  and  well 
acquainted  with  some  of  the  noted  ministers  of  other 
denominations  of  Brooklyn.  This,  together  with  the 
novelty  of  a  Quaker  protracted  meeting,  a  thing  that 
had  never  occurred  in  the  history  of  a  church,  brought 
to  the  meeting  many  leading  people— Dr.  Cuyler, 
from  the  Presbyterians ;  Mr.  Pentacost,  of  the  Bap- 


Brooklyn,  New  York,  131 

tist,  and  a  number  of  other  ministers  from  the  city 
chui'ches. 

I  copy  part  of  a  letter  from  a  correspondent  of 
the  Boston  Journal : 

**One  of  the  most  remarkable  revivals  of  the  age 
is  now  going  on  in  Brookljni.  It  is  a  protracted  meet- 
ing held  by  the  Friends.  It  has  been  in  session  over 
a  week  and  continues  with  vmabated  interest.  The 
most  eloquent  preachers  from  the  South,  the  West, 
and  the  North,  and  Europe  are  here.  The  elders  seat, 
not  unlike  those  of  a  judge,  will  hold  about  thirty, 
and  is  crowded.  A  few  brethren  are  dressed  in 
Quaker  costiune.  The  most  of  them  are  in  the  garb 
of  the  world.  Some  of  the  lady  preachers  are  elo- 
quent and  dramatic  beyond  description.  They  work 
their  audience  into  such  excitement  that  some  cannot 
contain  themselves,  but  cry  'Amen!'  and  shout.  The 
dramatic  speaker  is  Esther  Frame ;  she  is  the  Gough 
of  the  assembly.  She  stirs  up  her  hearers  like  a 
trumpet.  She  was  a  Methodist  and  became  a  convert 
to  the  Friends,  and  brings  the  fervor  and  enthusiasm 
of  her  old  faith  with  her  into  the  new  field." 

This  meeting  continued  a  little  more  than  a  week, 
but  like  the  meetings  held  at  other  points  in  the  So- 
ciety of  Friends,  it  was  the  ''John,  The  Baptist''  of 
revival  work  in  New  York  Yearly  Meeting,  that  an- 
nounced that  there  was  a  general  awakening  near  at 
hand. 

While  we  were  here  we  became  acquainted  with 
the  noted  Presbyterian  minister.  Dr.  Cuyler,  and  he 
was  so  desirous  that  Esther  should  speak  in  his  meet- 
ing that  we  consented  to  go  one  evening.  We  took 
tea  with  him  and  then  he  conducted  us  to  his  church 
and  Esther  preached  them  a  short  sermon,  and  the 
audience  was  much  pleased  with  it.  At  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  sermon,  a  member  of  Dr.  Cuyler 's  church 


132  Visit  to  Plymouth  Church. 

sprang  to  his  feet,  and  in  a  very  emphatic  manner 
said:  ''I  am  much  rejoiced  at  this  meeting  tonight, 
but  I  have  never  been  able  to  conceive  of  ^  family  of 
all  hoys  and  no  girls,"  alluding  to  the  custom  of  the 
Presbyterians  of  not  allowing  their  women  to  speak 
in  the  church. 

Dr.  Cuyler  is  one  of  the  most  earnest  Christian 
ministers  in  the  city,  a  man  of  superior  ability,  broad 
in  his  views  of  Christian  work.  He  would  not  deny 
the  holy  women  of  God  who  are  gifted,  and  called  to 
preach,  a  place  in  his  church. 

Visit  to  Plymouth  Church. 

Thanksgiving  Day  occurring  while  we  were  at 
Brooklyn,  we  went  to  the  Brooklyn  Tabernacle  to 
hear  Henry  Ward  Beecher  give  his  Thanksgiving 
talk.  He  gave  the  following  incident  in  connection 
with  his  ministry  when  he  was  at  Indianapolis,  In- 
diana, while  there  preaching  in  a  little  church  in  the 
first  years  of  his  ministry.    Said  the  great  preacher : 

**When  I  lived  in  Indianapolis,  many  years  ago, 
and  preached  to  a  small  congregation  in  a  little  meet- 
ing-house, I  received  a  salary  of  four  hundred  dollars 
a  year,  and  from  this  sum  all  the  expenses  of  the 
family  were  to  be  paid,  including  house  rent.  Our 
house  contained  two  rooms,  parlor  and  kitchen.  The 
kitchen  was  cook-room,  dining-room,  pantry  and  gen- 
eral depository  for  all  our  eatables,  and  we  had  our 
cellar  under  the  bed.  I  remember  also  that  my  ward- 
robe at  times  was  scanty  and  well  worn,  my  coat  that 
I  wore  to  meeting  being  much  frayed  and  the  elbows 
worn  threadbare.  I  remember  a  good  brother,  one  of 
the  most  wealthy  of  my  flock,  sent  me  a  suit  of  his 
clothes,  but  when  I  tried  to  put  them  on  they  were  too 
small,  for  he  was  a  small,  thin  man  and  I  was  quite 
-fleshy  and  taller  than  he  and  I  made  the  appearance 


Francis  W.  Thomas. 


Quaker  Meeting,  133 

of  Saul  wearing  David's  armour.  The  coat  sleeves 
were  too  small  and  my  elbows  came  through  them 
when  I  attempted  to  bend  my  arms.  The  legs  of  the 
pants  were  too  narrow  and  the  waist-band  would  not 
meet  around  me,  but  in  spite  of  all  the  inconveniences 
that  I  have  mentioned  we  were  never  more  thankful 
in  our  lives  than  then.'' 

So,  with  incident  and  illustration,  the  great  man 
entertained  his  congregation  on  the  theme  of  Thanks- 
giving ;  but  to  get  the  full  force  of  his  talk  he  must  be 
seen  and  heard  speaking  in  his  own  inimitable 
manner.  We  felt  ourselves  well  repaid  and  went 
away  with  our  hearts  full  of  thanks  to  the  Lord  for 
his  many  blessings  to  us. 

Newspaper  Correspondence, 

In  order  to  show  the  popular  thought  with  re- 
gard to  Friends  at  this  time,  I  copy  a  correspondent's 
letter  from  a  Union  City,  Indiana,  paper,  where  we 
held  a  few  meetings  in  1871 : 

''QUAKEE  MEETING. 

*' Union  City,  Indiana,  June  — ,  1871. 

"Frances  W.  Thomas,  Nathan  and  Esther 
Frame,  according  to  previous  appointment,  con- 
ducted religious  services  at  the  M.  E.  Church  last 
Sunday.  To  our  untutored  Quaker  ear  it  was  a  great 
novelty  to  hear  *  Friends'  lay  aside  that  peculiar 
intonation,  which  to  our  youthful  thought,  was  the 
true  badge  of  ministerial  anointment.  We  were 
pleased  to  see  on  this  occasion  a  clear,  lucid  and  dig- 
nified line  of  argument  used,  which  was  nevertheless 
earnest  and  devotional.  The  principal  topic  dis- 
cussed, perfect  holiness,  was,  to  our  mind,  such  a 
thorough  innovation  upon  early  impressions,  as  well 


134  Glens  Falls,  New  York, 

as  latter  day  experience  and  observation,  that  we 
confess  we  were  little  prepared  to  enter  into  sym- 
pathy with  the  speakers,  yet  we  were  edified  and  de- 
lighted with  the  services. 

*'But  the  novelty  as  well  as  the  sublimity  of  the 
services  were  greatly  heightened  when  Esther  Frame, 
as  if  moved  by  an  irresistible  impulse,  threw  her  soul 
into  the  most  devotional  song  we  ever  heard  sung. 
This  was  followed  by  a  short  prayer,  full  of  pathos 
and  earnest  entreaty  by  Nathan  Frame.  The  Dox- 
ology,  in  which  the  congregation  joined,  followed  by 
a  simple  dismissal,  closed  the  meeting. 

^*  Taken  altogether,  we  were  ready  to  conclude 
that  the  world  does  not  stand  still,  but  that  the  inno- 
vation of  light  and  knowledge  have  broken  even  upon 
Quakerism,  modifying  ancient  usage  in  harmony 
with  the  progress  of  the  age." 

It  must  have  seemed  strange  to  anyone  who  had 
only  attended  Friends  meetings  many  years  before, 
when  the  meetings  were  nearly  all  silent,  to  have  at- 
tended such  a  Quaker  meeting  as  is  described  in  this 
letter. 

Glens  Falls,  New  York. 

Late  in  the  autumn  of  1872  we  again  went  to 
New  York  to  attend  a  General  Meeting,  this  time  held 
at  Glens  Falls.  This  meeting  was  held  in  the  Metho- 
dist meeting-house,  as  the  Friends  house  was  three 
miles  in  the  country.  The  meeting  was  one  of  great 
blessing  to  Friends ;  there  were  many  who  were  mem- 
bers converted;  some  from  the  outside  joined  the 
Friends,  and  some  other  churches. 

From  this  meeting,  as  a  beginning,  and  the  other 
work  of  other  faithful  ministers,  and  workers,  there 
has  been  a  good  meeting-house  built  in  Glens  Falls. 
After  the  close  of  the  Friends  General  Meeting  the 


Severely  Tested,  135 

Methodists  continued  the  meetings  and  we  remained 
with  them  a  few  days. 

Severely  Tested. 

After  returning  from  this  meeting  at  Glens  Falls 
we  attended  the  little  meeting  at  Harveysburg  until 
March.  Then  we  went  to  Thorntown,  Indiana,  to 
visit  the  families  of  that  Quarterly  Meeting.  While 
there  we  received  a  letter  from  a  prominent  friend 
who  lived  near  Palmyra,  New  York,  urging  us  to 
come  and  hold  a  series  of  meetings.  He  said  in  his 
letter  *'we  will  pay  your  railway  expenses  and  re- 
mimerate  you." 

We  answered  him  we  would  come  soon.  As  the 
distance  was  so  long  and  we  did  not  think  to  hold 
but  the  one  series  of  meetings,  we  thought  best  to 
leave  our  children  at  Thorntown;  but  we  had  left 
them  among  strangers  so  often,  and  it  had  become 
such  a  grief  to  them,  Esther  suggested  that  I  take 
them  to  Iowa  and  leave  them  with  Mother  Gordon, 
where  they  would  feel  more  at  home.  The  children 
seemed  pleased  with  this,  and  I  took  them  to  Iowa, 
leaving  Esther  at  Thorntown  to  prepare  for  our 
journey. 

When  I  arrived  at  Salem,  Iowa,  and  prepared  to 
return  the  children  were  so  dissatisfied  they  would 
not  allow  me  to  leave  them  for  an  hour.  We  had 
never  known  them  so  distressed  before,  and  I  could 
not  persuade  them  to  stay.  I  had  been  at  the  ex- 
pense of  bringing  them  three  hundred  miles.  They 
asked:  ''Papa,  how  far  is  it  from  Iowa  to  New 
York,  and  how  many  States  will  we  be  from  you  and 
mannna?"  When  I  told  them  the  distance,  they  said: 
*'It  is  too  far  away  from  you ;  we  cannot  stay ;  please 
take  us  back  to  Thorntown  and  let  us  see  mamma,  and 


136  Severely  Tested. 

then  we  will  stay  there;"  and  they  clung  to  me  and 
cried  and  would  not  be  comforted  until  I  told  them  I 
would  take  them  back. 

On  our  way  back  the  older  daughter  was  very 
sick  and  fainted  away  for  a  time,  but  before  we 
reached  Indiana  she  was  much  better  and  was  soon 
in  her  usual  health. 

We  procured  homes  for  them,  though  we  had  to 
separate  them,  but  they  were  more  contented.. 

When  we  arrived  at  our  destination  in  New 
York  we  were  met  at  the  station  and  conveyed  to  the 
Friend's  home,  who  had  written  for  us.  Here  we  re- 
mained over  night.  During  the  evening  he  informed 
us  that  he  had  talked  with  some  Friends  and  they, 
with  himself,  had  concluded  they  better  not  hold  any 
meetings  now.  He  informed  us  their  monthly  meet- 
ing occurred  next  day.  We  attended  it  and  had  lib- 
erty in  preaching  the  Gospel;  we  had  one  meeting 
with  them  in  the  evening,  and  our  friend  took  us 
home  with  him.  He  informed  us  there  was  a  Metho- 
dist meeting  in  progress  near  by  and  the  preacher 
would  like  to  have  us  assist  him ;  but  we  did  not  feel 
that  we  had  any  concern  with  them,  as  we  had  come 
for  Friends, 

We  attended  a  few  meetings  and  told  the  minis- 
ter we  must  go  home.  The  last  night  of  the  ntieeting 
the  Methodist  minister  took  a  collection  from  the 
audience,  telling  them  it  was  for  the  evangelists,  but 
none  of  the  collection  ever  came  into  our  hands. 

We  returned  to  Thorntown  after  a  railway 
travel  of  more  than  twelve  hundred  miles,  without 
counting  my  trip  to  Iowa  and  return. 

The  Friends  in  New  York  handed  us  $6  only. 
We  had  a  little  money  left  from  my  school,  and  a 
little  from  the  home  we  had  sold— in  all  about  one 


Spring  Valley,  Ohio.  137 

hundred  dollars,  and  it  took  all  this  and  a  little  more 
to  pay  our  railway  expenses  on  this  trip. 

We  found  our  children  well,  when  we  returned, 
but  we  felt  we  were  severely  tested. 

Spring  Valley,  Ohio. 

While  living  at  Harveysburg,  in  1873,  Moses 
Walton  wrote  us  that  there  was  a  little  meeting  of 
Friends  near  Spring  Valley,  Ohio,  and  he  much  de- 
sired us  to  come  and  hold  some  meetings  there.  We 
felt  that  the  invitation  was  a  call  from  the  Lord. 
We  went  and  found  the  meeting  very  small ;  only  a 
few  elderly  Friends  attended. 

The  meeting-house  was  about  one-half  mile  from 
the  village,  and  there  must  be  something  more  than 
usual  to  attract  people,  but  as  the  meetings  continued 
the  little  house  soon  filled  with  interested  listeners. 
Moses  Walton  and  Isaac  Barrett  were  the  two  prin- 
cipal business  men  in  the  village ;  they  were  partners 
in  pork  packing ;  they  also  had  farms  and  a  flouring 
mill. 

I.  ]\I.  Barrett  was  a  member  of  the  Hicksite 
Quakers,  though  he  seldom  attended  their  meetings. 
He  came  to  our  meetings  and  soon  became  much  in- 
terested, and  in  one  of  the  meetings  arose  and  said: 
''I  have  concluded,  if  the  Friends  will  receive  me,  to 
become  a  member  among  you." 

We  took  his  name  and  he  became  a  member  of 
Spring  Valley  Meeting.  There  were  many  con- 
verted at  these  meetings,  and  some  joined  the  Friends 
church  who  became  very  substantial  members,  and 
for  a  long  time  Spring  Valley  was  one  of  the  most 
flourishing  meetings  belonging  to  Miami  Quarterly 
meeting. 

I.  M.  Barrett  was  soon  fully  saved,  and  for  many 
years  was  one  of  the  most  efficient  workers  in  Indiana 


138  Spring  Valley,  Ohio. 

Yearly  Meeting,  and  occupied  some  of  the  most  im- 
portant places  of  trust  and  responsibility.  He  was 
an  efficient  member  of  the  Evangelistic  Committee  of 
Indiana  Yearly  Meeting  for  a  number  of  years. 

The  further  results  of  this  series  of  meetings  was 
a  meeting-house,  purchased  in  the  village,  in  which  a 
flourishing  meeting  and  Sabbath  School  was  main- 
tained, and  the  Friends  meeting  was  the  largest  and 
most  aggressive  in  the  village. 

There  was  a  young  woman  from  Centerville, 
Ohio,  who  attended  this  series  of  meetings  and  was 
converted  and  then  began  to  plead  with  us  to  come  to 
Centerville.  We  told  her  we  would  pray  over  the 
matter  and  if  the  way  opened  we  would  go. 

We  soon  sent  word  that  we  would  go  and  hold  a 
series  of  meetings  at  Centerville.  The  Lord's  pres- 
ence was  greatly  among  the  people  from  the  first. 
The  spirit  of  God  wrought  so  mightily  that  many 
who  did  not  attend  the  meetings  were  brought  under 
conviction  for  their  sins,  and  some  of  them  converted. 
People  going  home  from  the  meetings  would  often  be 
converted  at  home  or  on  the  way  home. 

One  night  after  Mr.  Perry  Weller  had  returned 
from  the  meeting  to  his  home  and  while  caring  for 
his  horses,  his  conviction  became  so  great  that  it 
seemed  to  him  he  could  not  live,  and  he  cried  out,  **0, 
wretched  man  that  I  am!"  He  said:  "As  I  was 
going  to  unharness  my  team,  I  fell  on  my  knees  and 
cried  out,  *  God  be  merciful  to. me  a  sinner ! '  I  cannot 
tell  how  long  I  prayed,  but  God  heard  my  prayers 
and  I  shouted  for  joy." 

Perry  Weller  gave  the  above  testimony  next  day 
at  a  speaking  meeting.  His  was  a  wonderful  con- 
version and  his  face  shone  with  holy  joy  while  he 
spoke. 


Centerville,  Ohio,  139 


Centerville,  Ohio,  1872. 

Another  man,  Perry  Wilson,  came  to  the  seekers 
bench  one  morning,  but  was  not  converted.  He  fell 
under  great  temptation  and  became  ashamed  that  he 
had  ''made  such  a  fool  of  himself,"  as  he  expressed 
it.  He  said  **It  was  all  on  account  of  that  'Woman 
Preacher'  and  he  would  tell  her  she  had  better  attend 
to  her  own  business." 

In  this  state  of  mind  he  retired,  with  bitterness 
in  his  heart  against  the  meetings,  and  us ;  but  in  the 
night  God  visited  him  and  he  was  saved  and  came  to 
the  meeting  and  gave  the  above  account. 

One  night  after  the  sermon,  when  the  house  was 
thronged  and  many  were  coming  as  seekers,  there 
was  a  man  standing  in  the  doorway  and  weeping  and 
trembling  and  Esther  went  to  him  and  pressed  him 
to  give  his  heart  to  the  Lord,  but  he  refused.  She 
asked  him  again,  and  he  said, ' '  No,  I  will  not. ' '  Then 
Esther  lifted  her  voice  in  vocal  prayer  and  said, 
*  *  Lord  bring  him  down !  Lord  bring  him  down ! ' '  and 
he  began  to  reel,  and  as  she  repeated  her  prayer  he 
fell  prostrate  on  the  iBoor  and  cried  out  with  a  loud 
voice,  *'God  have  mercy  on  me  a  sinner!"  and  he  was 
soon  converted. 

There  were  some  Presbyterians  who  attended 
the  meetings,  and  among  them  was  a  doctor.  At  first 
he  would  not  come,  but  some  of  his  friends  induced 
him  to  attend  one  meeting.  He  declared  he  did  not 
believe  in  women  preaching ;  but  he  did  finally  come 
and  was  so  much  pleased  that  he  became  a  constant 
attendant  and  was  a  most  ardent  advocate  of  women's 
ministry. 

The  power  of  the  Lord  swept  all  through  the 
community    and    hundreds    were    converted,    the 


140  Bell  Brook,  Ohio. 

churches  were  revived  and  the  spirit  of  the  Lord 
reached  the  surrounding  villages  and  many  pressing 
invitations  came  to  us  from  ministers  and  their  peo- 
ple to  come  among  them. 

When  the  Lord  opens  the  door  no  man  can 
shut  it. 

We  made  our  home  at  dear  William  Weller's, 
and  a  lovely  home  it  was,  and  they  gave  us  just  such 
care  as  we  needed.     God  wall  reward  them. 

Dear  Samuel  Weller  and  his  dear  wife  were 
another  family  where  they  took  us  into  their  hearts 
and  home. 

Bell  Brook,  Ohio. 

We  came  to  Bell  Brook  February  2d,  1874. 
Bell  Brook  is  a  little  village  nine  miles  from  Xenia, 
Greene  County,  Ohio,  named  Bell  Brook  from  the 
beautiful  little  valley  basin,  surrounded  by  the  hills 
that  embrace  it  on  every  side  but  one,  where  flows  the 
historic  Little  Miami  River.  Around  the  village  on 
the  south  sweeps  a  little  crystal  *' brook"  that  is  fed 
by  springs  of  limpid  water,  and  so  they  call  the  little 
village  '^Bell  Brook."  The  early  settlers  here  were 
Scotch  Presb}i:erians. 

There  were  four  meeting-houses  in  the  village- 
Methodist  Episcopal,  Methodist  Protestant,  Presby- 
terian, and  United  Presb}i;erian. 

Spiritual  life  in  these  churches  the  time  we  came 
there  was  in  a  very  low  state.  Our  first  meeting  was 
held  in  the  Protestant  Methodist  meeting-house. 
Brother  Parsons  was  the  pastor.  There  had  been 
much  talk  in  the  village  and  community  concerning 
our  coming.  And  there  were  many  predictions  made 
with  regard  to  the  success  or  failure  of  the  meetings 
about  to  be  held  by  friends  and  enemies  of  Chris- 


Bell  Brook,  Ohio.  141 

tianity.  Some  declared  they  would  not  go  to  hear  a 
woman  preach.  Others  said  that  was  what  would 
induce  them  to  attend  the  meetings. 

One  elderly  woman  of  much  force  of  character 
and  much  prejudice  against  women*  ministry,  said 
she  was  sure  everything  would  be  ruined  now,  for 
that  *' woman  question"  was  coming  up  again. 

But  instead  of  the  *' woman  question"  coming 
up,  the  woman  herself  came  up;  and  under  the 
preaching  of  the  word  this  woman's  prejudices  were 
so  far  removed  she  said  she  believed  Mrs.  Frame  was 
called  to  preach,  and  for  Esther  to  go  on  preaching, 
but  she  did  not  believe  many  women  were  called  to 
preach. 

An  elderly  man,  James  McConnell,  who  was  a 
great  swearer,  and  gambler,  and  horse  racer,  and  who 
had  not  attended  meetings  for  some  years,  except 
funerals,  said:  "I  am  going  to  hear  what  the  Qua- 
kers have  to  say  on  the  subject  of  religion,  though  I 
don't  believe  much  in  it,  but  I  intend  to  go  and  hear 
them." 

Father  McConnell  was  told  that  the  house  was  so 
much  crowded  that  he  could  not  get  in.  "Well," 
said  he,  "I  will  get  inside  the  door  and  when  the 
Quakers  see  me  they  will  think  I  am  a  preacher  and 
they  will  give  me  a  seat  with  them." 

This  he  related  in  one  of  our  meetings  after  his 
conversion. 

When  McConnell  arrived  the  meeting-house  was 
filled  to  its  utmost  capacity  and  the  aisles  were  filled 
with  people  standing  in  them.  Father  McConnell, 
with  another  old  gentleman,  had  made  their  way 
about  half  way  up  one  of  the  aisles  and  stood  among 
the  throng.  Seeing  these  two  elderly  persons  stand- 
ing, I  invited  them  to  take  a  seat  near  us,  though  we 


142  Bell  Brook,  Ohio. 

did  not  mistake   either  of  them  for  preachers,  but 
thought  them  sinners. 

When  the  meeting  closed  that  night  someone 
asked  Father  McConnell  what  he  thought  of  the  Qua- 
kers, and  he  answered:  ''They  have  got  the  old- 
fashioned  religion  and  if  they  remain  in  this  com- 
munity they  will  scatter  it  around  among  the  peo- 
ple." 

The  house  in  which  we  were  holding  the  meet- 
ings was  too  small,  so  the  United  Presbyterian  house 
was  obtained,  it  being  the  largest  house  in  the  village. 

A  man  who  was  in  the  habit  of  drinking  went 
away  from  the  meeting  one  evening  cursing  the  Qua- 
kers, and  declared  he  would  never  go  to  their  meet- 
ings again.  He  said  there  was  too  much  noise  for 
him.  The  next  morning  he  went  out  into  the  forest 
to  chop  wood  and  took  a  flask  of  whisky  with  him. 
But  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  had  followed  him  from  the 
meeting.  He  set  his  flask  down  by  a  log  and  prepared 
to  go  to  work,  but  this  thought  came  into  his  mind, 
*'You  better  kneel  down  and  pray!"  And  he  knelt 
down  and  asked  God  to  forgive  his  sins,  but  while 
thus  engaged  the  devil  said,  "You  better  take  a  dram 
of  whisky."  But  finally,  through  Christ,  he  gained 
the  victory  and  he  was  wonderfully  converted  and 
arose  praising  the  Lord.  He  broke  his  flask  contain- 
ing the  whisky  and  went  shouting  home  and  made 
more  noise  than  all  the  Quakers. 

When  he  arrived  at  his  boarding  place  he  called 
for  a  jug  of  whisky  he  had  there,  took  it  out  and  emp- 
tied the  contents  on  the  ground,  broke  the  jug,  came 
to  the  meeting  and  related  how  the  Lord  had  saved 
him ;  so  the  curser  became  a  helper. 

The  Lord  maketh  even  our  enemies  to  be  at  peace 
with  us. 

This  series  of  meetings  at  Bell  Brook  was  one  of 


The  Drunkard  Saved.  143 

the  most  remarkable  in  many  respects  that  we  ever 
held.  From  the  first  meeting  there  was  a  felt  sense 
of  the  spirit  of  God  among  the  people,  and  it  became 
more  manifest  at  every  meeting  as  they  progressed. 

The  Drunkard  Saved. 

At  the  conclusion  of  one  of  our  meetings  a  mid- 
dle-aged woman,  poorly  clad,  her  old  shawl  slit  up  at 
the  sides  and  she  wearing  an  old  slat  sun-bonnet, 
closely  drawn  down  over  her  face,  came  and  said, 
**Mrs.  Frame,  have  you  time  to  listen  to  my  tale  of 
sorrow r'  ** Certainly !"  w^as  the  reply.  "Well,"  said 
the  woman,  **I  am  the  mother  of  a  large  family,  and 
my  husband  is  a  drunkard,  and  he  beats  the  children 
and  scolds  them  and  abuses  me  and  spends  all  the 
money  that  he  earns  at  the  dram  shops !  O,  our  home 
is  so  miserable ! !  Will  you  pray  for  him  that  he  may 
be  converted?'^ 

And  prayer  was  made  for  the  drunkard— earn- 
est, definite  prayer  unto  God  for  him— and  in  a  few 
days  he  was  converted  and  saved  from  the  power  of 
strong  drink. 

The  next  Sabbath  morning  after  the  meeting,  as 
this  man  and  his  wife  returned  home,  one  of  their 
little  boys  met  them  at  the  gate  and  said,  "Papa,  are 
you  converted,  and  have  you  joined  the  church"?'^ 
"Oh,  yes,  my  boy  I"  "Well,  then  you  won't  beat  us 
any  more,  and  you  won't  make  mama  cry  any  more, 
will  you?  and  we'll  have  good  times  at  our  house!" 
And  the  little  boy  with  a  glad  heart  went  shouting 
around  the  house  for  a  long  time  saying,  "We'll  have 
happy  times  at  our  house— papa  is  converted." 

And  the  choir  in  heaven  tuned  their  harps  anew 
and  rejoiced  more  over  this  one  sinner  that  repented 
than  over  the  nine  and  ninety  that  needed  no  repent- 
ance. 


144  The  Drunkard  Saved. 

The  great  black  niglit  the  wings  of  sin  were 
swept  out  of  the  home  and  Love  with  her  smiling  face 
came  in,  and  Joy  followed.  They  were  joined  by  In- 
dustry; who  soon  wrought  wonders  in  that  desolate, 
drink-cursed  family.  Plenty  soon  sat  smiling  at 
their  door— all  because  Jesus  had  been  invited  to  be 
their  guest. 

James  McConnell,  who  first  came  to  the  meet- 
ings to  hear  the  Quakers  was  a  miracle  of  grace.  In 
his  intercourse  with  friend  and  foe,  before  his  con- 
version, even  in  his  ordinary  conversation,  he  used 
profane  language,  and  it  was  a  common  remark  that 
James  McConnell  swore  by  note.  Some  days  before 
his  conversion  he  had  entirely  ceased  swearing  with- 
out himself  being  conscious  of  it,  as  he  told  us. 

When  seekers  were  being  invited  forward  for 
prayer  James  McConnell  began  to  go  around  among 
his  acquaintances  and  all  classes,  inviting  them  to  be- 
come Christians,  and  he  induced  many  of  them  to 
come  forward,  and  though  unconverted  at  this  time, 
he  was  one  of  the  most  successful  workers. 

One  day  some  of  his  friends  said  to  him,  ''Father 
McConnell,  why  do  you  not  seek  the  Lord  and  be  con- 
verted*?" ''Why,  I  had  not  thought  of  it,"  was  his 
reply.  He  immediately  went  to  see  some  of  his  old 
companions  in  sin.  Here  are  four  of  their  photo- 
graphs—two of  them  over  seventy  years  old.  They 
were  notable  characters. 

He  made  a  covenant  with  them  that  he  would 
become  a  Christian  if  they  would  go  with  him.  At 
the  appointed  time  all  of  them  came  forward,  and 
finally  all  of  them  were  converted. 

One  old  man,  a  United  Presbyterian,  and  a 
drinking  man,  whose  dear  Christian  wife  had  prayed 
forty  years  for  him,  came  forward  with  James  Mc- 
Connell and  a  number  of  other  old  men,  and  all  of 


Bell  Brook,  Ohio.  145 

them  were  converted  that  night  except  James  McCon- 
nell. 

The  old  Presbyterian  man  was  saved  and  was 
very  happy.  His  face,  when  he  arose  and  said  *'I 
am  saved!"  was  radiant  with  divine  light. 

Esther  went  down  the  aisle  to  congratulate  his 
wife  and  she  embraced  Esther,  and  said,  ''O!  Mrs. 
Frame,  I  was  not  happier  when  I  became  his  bride 
than  I  am  tonight." 

Mr.  Hopkins,  the  old  gentleman  just  mentioned, 
lived  a  number  of  years  after  his  conversion  and  died 
triumphantly  in  Christ,  and  went  home  to  meet  his 
loved  companion,  who  had  preceded  him. 

Bell  Brook  J  Ohio. 

There  was  an  infidel  club  in  the  village  and  they 
determined  not  to  attend  the  meetings,  but  finally 
concluded  to  come  one  night  and  hear  what  the  Qua- 
kers and  woman  had  to  say,  and  William  Willough- 
by,  the  leader  of  the  club,  became  convicted,  and  soon 
converted,  and  finally  all  of  them  gave  up  their  infi- 
delity and  gave  themselves  to  the  Lord,  and  were 
saved. 

It  seemed  that  the  whole  town  and  country 
around  for  quite  a  distance  was  filled  with  a  felt 
sense  of  the  presence  of  the  spirit  of  God.  Strangers 
and  traveling  men,  coming  to  the  town  on  ordinary 
business,  and  not  knowing  there  was  a  series  of  meet- 
ings in  the  place,  would  remark  that  they  had  strange 
feelings  and  that  when  they  were  more  than  a  mile 
from  the  village  these  sensations  came  upon  them; 
they  did  not  understand  it. 

People  were  converted  in  the  country  two  or 
three  miles  away  who  had  not  attended  the  meetings 
until  after  their  conversion. 


146  Bell  Brook,  Ohio. 

John  Strain  and  Ms  wife,  people  more  than  fifty 
years  old,  who  lived  three  miles  distant  and  had  not 
been  to  the  meetings,  were  thus  converted,  and  soon 
afterward  came  to  the  meeting  and  related  their  ex- 
perience. 

The  meeting-house  was  a  very  large  one  and  was 
filled  to  overflowing  every  night,  and  often  full  at  the 
day  meetings. 

While  our  meetings  were  in  progress  at  Center- 
ville  Dr.  Dawson,  from  Bell  Brook,  frequently  at- 
tended, coming  five  miles  through  the  winter  storm. 
He  was  considered  a  very  intellectual  man,  but  he 
was  a  great  drinker  of  strong  drink,  and  was  often 
drunk— "and,*'  as  he  remarked  of  himself,  "to  be  a 
Dawson  you  must  drink."  It  was  so  remarkable  for 
him  to  attend  a  series  of  meetings,  and  come  so  far 
that  he  was  asked  by  a  man  why  he  came,  and  his 
reply  was,  "It  is  none  of  your  business." 

One  night  in  the  meetings  at  Centerville,  while 
we  were  in  the  congregation  talking  to  sinners, 
Esther  went  to  Dr.  Dawson  and  asked  him  to  become 
a  Christian,  and  he  said:  "Mrs.  Frame,  there  are  so 
many  hypocrites  in  the  church!"  And  she  replied, 
"Well,  Doctor,  are  there  any  doctors  who  are  not 
gentlemen,  and  if  there  are  does  that  prove  thee  is 
not  a  gentleman ?"  But  soon  he  said :  "Mrs.  Frame, 
I  am  a  great  sinner/'  Esther  replied,  "Christ  is  a 
great  Saviour."  Then  Dr.  Dawson  said:  "If  you 
can  prove  to  me  that  he  can  save  me,  I  will  accept  it. 
Prior  to  James  McConnell's  conversion  his  ankle 
had  been  crushed  by  a  heavy  piece  of  timber 
falling  on  it.  Ever  after  that  time  he  had  been  com- 
pelled to  use  crutches  or  a  cane.  He  could  not  walk 
a  step  without  them,  and  with  them  he  could  only  go 
at  a  hobbling  gait.    He  always  carried  his  cane  with 


^<i 

i'            '4 

»^ 

m^ 

1  IP  s 

^i   ^^H^ 

i    ^ 

1  ^ 

1 

«*^»» 

I  1 

James   McCoxxell.  Dr.  Dawson.  \Vm.   Hopkins. 

Wm.    Willoughby.  Wm.   Marshall. 


Trophies  of  Grace,  Bell  Brook.  Ohio. 


A  Miracle  of  Grace.  147 

Mm,  even  when  in  the  house,  and  his  crutches  when 
he  went  any  considerable  distance  away. 

Should  his  cane  or  crutches  be  a  little  distance 
from  him  he  must  either  have  someone  to  bring  them 
or  he  must  go  on  his  hands  and  knees  to  get  them. 
He  stated  to  us  a  number  of  times  he  was  compelled 
to  have  his  ankle  bathed  many  times  or  he  could  not 
sleep;  that  he  had  never  slept  all  night  without  be- 
ing awakened  by  the  pain  since  his  ankle  had  been 
crushed.  But  since  his  conversion  he  has  never  had 
occasion  to  use  his  cane  or  his  crutches.  **The  Lord 
healed  me  soul  and  body,''  he  said,  "and  my  ankle 
has  never  hurt  me  or  caused  me  a  moment's  uneasi- 
ness since." 

We  knew  him  for  fourteen  years  after  his  con- 
version and  he  lived  a  happy  Christian  all  this  time. 

A  Miracle  of  Grace. 

Last  summer  (1889)  James  McConnell  was  laid 
to  rest  in  the  "Bell  Brook  Cemetery"  by  the  side  of 
his  beloved  wife  who  had  preceded  him.  We 
preached  his  funeral  and  saw  him  laid  away  in  his 
last  earthly  resting  place. 

As  our  meetings  were  held  in  the  United  Pres- 
byterian meeting-house  most  of  them  attended  from 
the  First. 

Some  of  the  more  conservative  of  the  Presby- 
terians declared  if  we  asked  people  to  come  forward 
for  prayer  if  they  could  not  get  to  the  door  they 
would  jump  out  from  the  windows;  but  many  of 
them  came  to  an  altar  of  prayer  and  were  converted. 

There  were  many  other  remarkable  conversions 
at  these  Bell  Brook  meetings  that  we  cannot  here 
mention.  But  there  are  two  more,  William  Wil- 
loughby  and  and  Joseph  H.  Baine.    They  had  been 


148  Joseph  Baine's  Letter. 

soldiers  in  the  Federal  Ai-niy  and  had  been  prisoners 
in  the  Southern  prison  pens  for  eighteen  months. 
Following  is  a  letter  written  us  by  Joseph  H.  Baine 
after  his  conversion : 

Joseph  Baine' s  Letter. 

*'BeU  Brook,  Greene  Co.,  O.,  March  20, 1874. 
"Nathan  and  Esther  Frame,  Spring  Valley,  O. : 

"Dear  Friends:— I  feel  that  I  must  write  to  you 
and  give  you  a  little  sketch  of  my  life,  especially  that 
part  of  it  when  I  was  a  prisoner  during  the  war  be- 
tween the  Northern  and  Southern  States.  I  was 
raised  in  the  Presbyterian  church  and  always  at- 
tended their  meetings  until  I  was  a  young  man. 
Then,  in  1862,  I  enlisted  as  a  soldier  and  went  aw^ay 
from  home  and  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Confeder- 
ates when  I  had  been  in  the  service  but  a  short  time. 
Some  of  my  companions  were  taken  prisoners  at  the 
same  time.  For  eighteen  long  months  we  suffered 
all  the  indignities,  hardships  and  sickness  that  mor- 
tal man  can  endure  and  live.  Soon  after  our  capture 
we  were  taken  to  that  worst  of  all  'Southern 
prisons,'  Andersonville,  Georgia.  The  site  of  the 
prison  w^as  on  two  side  hills  of  clay,  sloping  one 
from  the  north  and  the  other  from  the  south,  between 
which  in  the  valley  thus  formed  a  little  stream  made 
its  may  from  west  to  east.  The  brook,  sluggish  in  its 
movements,  perhaps  four  feet  wide  and  eight  or  ten 
inches  deep,  furnished  the  only  water  accessible  to 
the  prisoners.  On  each  side  of  the  stream  was  a 
quagmire  about  150  feet  wide,  and  this,  with  the  dead 
line,  cut  the  original  twenty-two  acres  enclosed,  down 
to  about  twelve  acres  on  which  these  prisoners  lived, 
suffering  that  which  was  worse  than  a  thousand  mer- 
ciful deaths.  In  this  open  area  the  prisoners  were 
herded  like  so  many  cattle.    The  grounds  were  en- 


Joseph  Baine's  Letter,  149 

closed  by  a  stockade  of  hewed  logs  fifteen  feet  long 
and  set  five  feet  in  the  ground.  The  stockade  was 
built  upon  the  hills  that  sloped  toward  each  other, 
coming  down  toward  the  filthy  stream.  On  the  in- 
side of  the  stockade  was  the  '  dead  line, '  a  simple  rail- 
ing three  feet  high,  about  twenty  feet  inside  of  the 
wall  around  the  inclosure.  Prisoners  passing  this 
line  were  to  be  shot  down,  at  the  instant  of  ofi'ence. 
But  so  willing  were  the  guards  to  obey  this  order 
that  the  man  who  reached  his  arm  over  this  line  was 
immediately  given  his  eternal  discharge,  and  many 
times  I  have  seen  the  guards  take  deliberate  aim  at 
some  poor  fellow  when  he  was  not  near  the  line. 
Sometimes  there  would  be  some  food  thrown  near  to 
the  *dead  line,'  and  the  prisoners  being  in  a  famished 
condition  would  be  tempted  to  go  too  near  the  fatal 
line,  and  they  would  be  shot.  We  were  in  constant 
dread  of  being  killed,  no  difference  in  what  part  of 
the  ground  we  might  be.  There  was  no  shelter  of  any 
kind  to  shield  the  men  from  the  burning  sun  in  the 
day  time,  or  from  the  cold,  heavy  dews  at  night.  A 
few  of  them  had  some  old  worn  dirty  vermin-infested 
blankets,  and  many  of  them  had  none  with  which  to 
protect  themselves  in  any  way  from  the  chill  at  night. 
The  heat  of  the  sun  was  so  great  in  the  day,  that  if 
an  Q^g  was  placed  in  the  sand  where  the  sun  could 
shine  on  it,  the  egg  would  cook  in  thirty  minutes. 

*'The  Confederate  camp  of  4,000  men  was  on  the 
little  stream  of  water  above  us,  this  stream  ran 
through  the  center  of  both  camps. 

**In  this  little  stream,  from  which  we  must  obtain 
all  the  water  that  we  used,  the  Confederates  threw 
all  their  garbage,  and  excrements,  which  made  the 
water  totally  unfit  to  drink;  it  was  indeed  drinking 
water  from  a  cess  pool.  Death  was  in  every  draft 
taken.    When  we  were  in  that  loathsome  prison  there 


150  Joseph  Baine's  Letter. 

were  over  thirty  thousand  prisoners  there.  Many  of 
them  were  being  consumed  with  deadly  fevers, 
brought  on  by  exposure  to  the  sun's  heat  in  the  day, 
exposure  to  the  dews  at  night,  and  drinking  the  dead- 
ly poisoned  water,  and  besides  all  this  food  in  small 
quantities,  and  unfit  to  be  eaten.  These  devoted  men 
were  perishing  for  want  of  food  and  water. 

**They  were  dying  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  a  day.  There  were  in  that  prison  six  hun- 
dred praying  men.  They  held  prayer  meetings. 
They  prayed  to  God  for  water.  They  had  appealed 
to  the  authorities  but  they  had  refused  to  hear  them. 
But  God  heard  them.  There  was  no  earthly  help  at 
hand,  but  those  who  believe  that  a  good  God  will 
never  fail  to  hear  the  cry  of  his  suffering  creatures, 
will  find  that  he  will  help  them.  When  daylight 
came  one  pleasant  August  morning,  the  prisoners 
awoke  to  find  that  on  the  north  side,  and  midway  be- 
tween the  summit  and  the  stream,  a  great  generous 
spring,  had  during  the  night  burst  from  the  earth, 
and  sent  its  cool,  clear,  sparkling  water  down  the 
hill,  an  exhaustless  supply  for  the  whole  camp,  and 
in  the  most  convenient  place  for  all  to  get  at  it,  and 
it  continued  to  flow  while  we  remained  there,  and  is 
flowing  yet. 

*'I  know  a  hundred  men  who  were  prisoners  at 
the  time,  who  are  now  living,  who  will  bear  testimony 
to  what  I  here  say. 

**In  1864  we  were  sent  to  Richmond,  Virginia, 
to  be  exchanged  for  prisoners  held  by  the  Federals. 
The  morning  we  were  to  be  exchanged  we  were  taken 
down  to  the  river,  and  conveyed  to  an  island  behind 
which  the  transports  lay  that  were  to  convey  us  to 
the  Federal  lines.  The  prisoners  that  were  to  be  ex- 
changed had  to  walk  nearly  a  mile  in  order  to  reach 
the  transports.    Many  of  them  were  so  weak  that 


Joseph  Baine^s  Letter.  151 

they  could  not  walk  more  than  half  the  distance,  but 
had  to  crawl  on  their  hands  and  knees  the  remainder 
of  the  distance.  They  were  wasted  and  worn  by  dis- 
ease, and  famished  by  hunger,  smoked  over  pine 
knots,  imtil  their  nearest  kin  could  not  have  recog- 
nized them.  I  do  not  believe  my  own  mother  would 
have  known  me.  When  we  came  in  sight  of  the  ^Old 
Stars  and  Stripes/  that  we  had  not  seen  for  eighteen 
months,  we  shouted  until  we  were  hoarse,  and  the 
poor  boys  who  were  so  weak  that  they  could  not 
stand,  rolled  on  the  ground  in  their  transports  of 
joy.  We  were  out  of  prison,  and  under  the  protec- 
tion of  the  flag  of  our  country. 

"Now,  dear  friends,  you  may  know  a  little  of 
just  how  I  felt  when  you  so  earnestly  pleaded  witli 
us  poor  sinners,  to  forsake  our  sins,  and  we  came 
forward  and  you  prayed  for  us,  and  we  received  par- 
don and  shouted  for  joy.  We  had  been  delivered 
from  a  worse  prison  than  Andersonville,  and  from 
a  death  more  terrible  than  a  prison  pen." 

Minneapolis,  Minnesota,  1874. 

*'We  shall  never  forget  you,  and  your  family, 
may  God  bless  you  wherever  you  go  as  he  has  here. 

*' Joseph  H.  Baine.'* 

We  leave  this  sketch  given  by  Joseph  H.  Baine 
to  be  considered  in  the  light  of  truthful  history,  after 
the  clouds  of  war  have  passed  away. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  Bell  Brook  meetings, 
we  went  to  our  home  at  Spring  Valley,  Ohio.  We 
were  very  weary,  from  continuous  and  excessive 
work.  My  health  at  this  time  was  veiy  poor,  and  my 
friends  thought  my  work  was  finished.  I  had  a  very 
severe  cough,  and  my  bronchial  tubes  and  lungs  were 
much  inflammed,  and  Dr.  Dawson,  of  Bell  Brook, 


152  By  the  Wayside. 

told  me  that  I  might  as  well  prepare  to  leave  my 
work,  as  I  would  never  be  able  for  it  again. 

We  packed  and  stored  our  goods,  and  with  our 
children  started  to  Minneapolis,  Minnesota.  We 
had  a  little  time  at  Xenia  waiting  for  the  through 
train  to  Chicago.  While  waiting  here,  Mrs.  Fanny 
Cornnable,  a  friend  of  Esther's,  came  to  her,  and 
said,  **0,  Mrs.  Frame,  I  have  a  message  for  you. 
A  dear  friend  of  mine,  Mr.  Harbine,  has  just  come 
home  from  Florida  where  he  has  been  for  his  health, 
he  has  consumption  and  is  now  on  his  way  to  Colo- 
rado. I  fear  he  will  die  soon,  and  he  is  unconverted, 
you  must  see  him,  I  will  take  you  in  my  carriage." 

Though  we  had  but  an  hour  until  our  train  time, 
Esther  went  to  see  the  sick  man.  She  found  him  in 
a  very  weak  condition,  and  this  is  her  testimony  con- 
cerning her  visit  to  him.  I  found  him  at  his  home, 
with  his  wife  and  sister,  mother  and  brother-in-law. 
He  greeted  me  kindly,  but  I  could  not  give  him  my 
message  while  all  were  there  in  the  room,  so  I  lifted 
my  heart  in  prayer  to  God,  that  He  might  open  the 
way. 

Soon  they  all  excused  themselves,  and  went  out, 
leaving  only  his  mother,  wife  and  myself  with  him. 
Then  he  told  me  he  was  going  to  Colorado  for  his 
health,  and  I  also  stated  to  him  that  I  was  now  on 
my  way  to  Minnesota  with  my  husband,  for  the  same 
purpose,  and  added,  but  it  is  not  so  much  difference 
where  we  die,  or  when,  if  we  are  ready,  to  which  he 
assented.  I  then  said,  **are  you  a  Christian?"  and 
he  replied  he  was  not.  I  said,  will  thee  allow  me  to 
pray  for  thee,  and  he  said  yes.  We  knelt  and  I  be- 
sought the  Lord  that  this  man  might  now  give  him- 
self to  the  Saviour,  and  become  a  Christian. 

The  spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon  us  with  melt- 
ing power,  until  they  were  all  bathed  in  tears,  and 


Answered  Prayer.  153 

Mr.  Harbine  sobbed  aloud,  while  I  prayed.  When 
I  arose  Mr.  Harbine  clasped  my  hands,  and  said: 
*'I  thank  you ;  I  thank  you  for  that  prayer."  I  bade 
him  a  heaii;y  farwell,  and  went  to  my  train. 

Mr.  Harhine  Converted. 

After  our  return  from  Minneapolis  we  held  a 
week's  meeting  at  the  little  town  of  Alpha,  the  home 
of  Mr.  Harbine 's  mother.  We  were  entertained  at 
her  beautiful  residence,  and  while  there  she  received 
a  letter  from  her  son  in  Colorado,  who  was  very  sick. 
Mrs.  Harbine  then  besought  me  to  write  a  letter  to 
her  son— my  visit  to  him  at  Xenia  had  done  him 
much  good. 

I  then  wrote  him,  as  desired,  praying  that  the 
Lord  might  direct  the  message,  and  that  he  might  be 
saved;  and  the  Lord  answered  my  prayer,  for  soon 
after  he  received  my  letter.  His  mother  received 
word  from  his  wife  that  Mr.  Harbine  had  been  con- 
verted.   He  was  saved ! 

And  this  was  the  means  of  the  conversion  of  the 
wife  and  mother,  for  though  both  church  members, 
neither  of  them  had  known  of  regeneration. 

Thus  from  the  little  \dsit  paid,  and  the  prayer 
offered  for  the  sick  man,  three  souls  were  brought 
to  the  Saviour.  You  can  find  a  field  of  labor  if  you 
want  it,  and  like  the  Master  who  went  about  doing 
good,  the  work  done  will  be  honored,  and  the  good 
seed  so\\Ti  will  bring  forth  fruit. 

The  week's  meetings  at  Alpha  were  also  blessed 
of  the  Lord  to  the  conversion  of  souls. 

Hoivard  Lake. 

Out  from  Minneapolis  fifty  miles  the  Friends 
had  a  meeting  and  they  so  earnestly  urged  us  that 


154  Howard  Lake,  Minnesota, 

we  held  a  few  meetings.  There  were  many  invalids 
at  Howard  Lake,  and  some  of  them  attended  our 
meetings.  Among  this  nmnber  was  a  young  man 
from  Illinois ;  his  health  was  very  poor,  he  was  only 
able  to  attend  meeting  twice.  One  day  there  was  a 
messenger  came  from  one  of  the  boarding  houses 
and  said  there  is  a  young  man  wants  to  see  Mrs. 
Frame,  and  he  is  very  sick.  We  went  immediately, 
found  him  in  his  room.  When  we  came  in  he  said : 
*'I  have  been  at  your  meetings,  and  I  have  sent  for 
you  to  come  and  pray  for  me."  Esther  said  to  him, 
**Who  are  you,  tell  me  about  yourself."  Then  he 
said  that  his  home  was  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  and 
that  he  had  large  possessions  there,  but  that  he  was 
a  sinner,  and  had  gone  into  skepticism,  and  had  wan- 
dered far  away  from  the  Christian  religion  and  after 
searching  all  the  infidel  books  I  have  found  no  light 
in  them.  **Lady,  I  wish  I  had  what  you  have;  pray 
for  me."  Esther  said,  **I  will  pray  for  thee,  but  thee 
must  pray  for  thyself."  Turning  an  earnest  gaze 
upon  her  he  replied :  "I  can 't  pray !  I  never  prayed 
in  my  life ! ' '  When  urged  by  her  to  say  ^  *Lord  Jesus, 
be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner,"  he  continued  to  repeat 
his  sad  lamentation,  *'I  cannot  pray;  I  wish  I  could, 
but  I  cannot!" 

Thus  he  continued  while  we  remained  with  him. 
AH  was  darkness.    A  starless  night  of  gloom. 

We  again  visited  him  the  next  day,  but  could 
not  prevail  on  him  to  pray.  A  short  time  after  the 
young  man's  death,  there  came  a  letter  from  Pitts- 
burg, Pennsylvania,  making  inquiry  about  the  name 
of  the  "Quaker  lady"  who  visited  this  young  man. 
The  letter  was  from  the  father  of  the  young  man.  In 
the  letter  was  this  sentence :  *'He  was  my  son,  please 
tell  me  what  were  the  last  words  of  my  d3dng  boy." 
We  did  not  answer  that  letter,  the  last  words  of  the 


Minnesota  Penitentiary,  155 

dying  boy  were  too  full  of  sadness,  and  we  threw 
over  them  the  mantle  of  silence.  The  father's  heart 
was  already  filled  with  sorrow,  and  we  did  not  wish 
to  add  to  his  grief  when  it  could  do  him  no  good. 

After  returning  to  Minneapolis,  we  attended 
Friends  meeting  on  the  Sabbath,  and  held  a  few 
meetings  in  different  parts  of  the  city,  and  also  some 
meetings  on  the  streets.  On  Saturday,  on  "Bridge 
Square,"  in  the  afternoons,  hundreds  of  working 
men  assembled  and  we  thought  it  a  good  opportunity 
to  preach  the  gospel  to  them.  We  were  continually 
reminded  of  the  words  of  the  Master.  ' '  The  harvest 
is  plenteous,  but  the  laborers  are  few." 

Stillwater,  Minnesota,  States  Prison. 

We  visited  the  States  Prison  at  Stillwater. 
There  was  a  sad  incident  in  connection  with  our  visit. 
When  we  were  going  into  the  reception  room  of  the 
prison,  we  saw  a  young  man  and  woman  with  an 
elderly  man  walking  between  them. 

The  young  man  approached  the  warden,  and 
said:  "This  old  man  would  like  to  see  his  son." 
When  the  name  of  his  son  was  mentioned  the  father 
bowed  his  head  and  wept. 

When  we  went  into  the  chapel  to  preach  to  the 
prisoners,  the  young  man  was  pointed  out  to  us  by 
the  Warden,  who  said:  "He  murdered  two  young 
men  while  under  the  influence  of  drink,  and  he  is 
here  as  a  life  prisoner."  He  had  almost  a  boyish 
face. 

O !  the  curse  of  strong  drink !  The  home  robbed, 
the  life  crushed  out  of  the  father  and  mother.  Lost 
to  the  world,  the  soul  stained  with  crime,  two  other 
lives  went  into  eternity  without  a  moment's  warning, 
the  state  taxed  to  build  penitentiaries,  intoxicating 


156  Return  to  Ohio. 

drinks  sold  with  legal  sanction ;  who,  and  how  many 
will  have  to  answer  for  all  this  ruin  at  the  day  of 
judgment  1 

Return  To  Ohio—lS14:, 

We  delivered  our  messages  to  the  poor  prisoners 
and  returned  to  Minneapolis  with  an  added  sense  of 
the  sinfulness  of  sin,  and  the  greatness  of  God's 
remedy  for  sin.  We  had  been  in  Minnesota  three 
months,  and  feeling  released,  returned  to  our  work 
in  Spring  Valley,  Ohio. 

We  rented  a  house  and  removed  our  goods  from 
the  wareroom,  where  they  had  been  stored. 

But  so  anxious  were  the  people  in  Spring  Valley 
for  a  series  of  meetings  we  did  not  arrange  our  goods 
for  keeping  house,  but  began  meetings  immediately. 
The  effect  of  the  Bell  Brook  meetings  still  lingered 
among  the  people.  The  meetinghouse  was  filled  at 
the  first  meeting,  and  many  professed  conversion, 
and  all  classes  came,  and  it  seemed  that  we  should 
have  a  repetition  of  the  Bell  Brook  meetings,  and  an- 
other deluge  of  the  power  of  God  among  the  unsaved. 

But  much  as  we  regretted  it,  we  were  compelled 
to  close  the  meetings  in  the  midst  of  this  great  wave 
of  Salvation,  and  arrange  our  goods  for  housekeep- 
ing so  that  our  children  could  go  to  school,  as  we  had 
no  home  for  them. 

The  Lord  was  not  limited,  but  we  were  limited 
in  our  want  of  strength  and  means— to  continue  the 
work. 

Healing  From  Sickness  and  Meetings  at  Trinity  M. 
E.  Church,  Xenia,  0.,  Oct.  1874. 

My  health  continued  very  poor  after  our  return 
from  Minnesota,  and  it  was  thought  by  my  Friends, 


Meetings  at  Xenia.  157 

and  by  Dr.  Dawson,  our  faithful  friend,  that  my 
work  was  finished.  But  I  felt  that  my  work  was  not 
finished,  and  still  did  all  I  could  for  myself  and 
trusted  in  the  Lord.  And  while  I  did  not  make  any 
special  effort,  or  have  any  set  time  to  pray  for  Divine 
healing,  I  believed  the  Lord  was  able  and  willing  to 
heal  me,  if  it  was  his  will  to  do  so.  So  I  often  com- 
mitted my  case  unto  my  heavenly  Father  in  this  way 
in  the  name  of  the  Great  Physician,  and  in  due  time 
an  answer  came,  clear,  distinct,  and  full,  and  I  then 
and  ever  since  have  had  an  unshaken  confidence  that 
the  Lord  God,  the  Almighty,  spoke  to  me  and  said: 
*'I  am  the  Lord  God  Ahnighty,  and  I  am  able  to  heal 
thee,  and  thou  need  not  go  anywhere  else  to  seek  heal- 
ing, remain  where  thou  art,  and  believe,  and  trust  in 
me,  and  go  on  with  thy  work."  This  message  went 
to  the  innermost  depths  of  my  being,  and  will  ever 
remain  the  voice  of  the  Lord  to  me.  It  became  to  m.e 
an  abiding  knowledge. 

I  'began  to  improve  in  health,  and  though  I  was 
not  cured  immediately,  so  that  I  had  my  usual 
strength,  the  Lord  was  my  healer,  and  I  record 
this  to  the  honor  of  his  *' Great  Name."  This  was  in 
the  month  of  September,  1874. 

David  Judson  Starr,  pastor  of  Trinity  M.  E. 
Church,  Xenia,  gave  a  most  pressing  invitation  to 
hold  a  series  of  meetings  with  him,  and  feeling  it  was 
an  opening  of  the  Lord,  we  commenced  a  series  of 
meetings  in  Xenia,  Ohio,  at  Trinity  Church,  in  Octo- 
ber. We  were  most  gladly  welcomed  by  Brother 
Starr,  and  all  his  church,  and  a  most  lovely  home  was 
provided  for  us  with  John  and  Gussey  Connable. 

We  must  record  to  the  memory  of  these  dear 
friends  that  from  our  first  acquaintance  with  them, 
and  through  the  many  years  that  we  knew  them 
afterward,  their  home  and  hearts  were  ever  open  to 


158  Xenia,  Ohio,  1874. 

receive  us,  and  in  passing  from  our  home  in  James- 
town, Ohio,  through  Xenia,  to  and  from  our  Evan- 
gelistic tours,  though  we  might  call  at  midnight  or 
early  dawn,  we  always  received  the  same  loving  wel- 
come, and  kindly  Christian  greeting. 

Dear  John  Connable  has  passed  from  works  to 
reward,  but  his  dear  wife,  and  some  of  his  children 
remain.  Our  prayers  shall  ever  be  for  them.  'The 
meetings  from  the  commencement  were  of  great  in- 
terest and  spiritual  power,  and  the  large  audience 
room  was  nightly  crowded  by  an  eager  throng,  hun- 
gry to  hear  the  Lord's  message.  Many  from  night 
to  night  rose  for  the  prayers  of  the  church,  and  many 
were  converted  and  a  large  number  joined  the  M.  E. 
Church.  Though  Friends  had  no  church  organiza- 
tion in  Xenia  at  that  time,  there  were  a  number  of 
Friends  in  Xenia  who  attended  our  meetings.  Our 
meetings  continued  about  two  weeks. 

At  this  time  there  was  much  prejudice  among 
many  of  the  churches  against  "The  Quakers,"  and 
especially  against  a  woman  occupying  the  sacred 
**desk"  as  the  pulpit  or  rostrum  was  called. 

Brother  D.  J.  Starr  was  not  only  a  most  excel- 
lent preacher,  but  a  Christian  gentleman,  and  took 
great  care  to  make  us  feel  at  home  in  his  church, 
giving  us  full  control  of  the  meetings  and  telling  us 
to  conduct  the  meetings  just  as  the  Spirit  led  us. 

There  was  a  fine  organ  in  the  house  and  a  choir 
of  trained  singers,  but  often  the  choir  did  not  sing, 
and  the  organ  was  little  used,  though  we  left  themj 
entirely  free  to  do  as  seemed  best  to  them  as  Metho- 
dists. The  word  of  the  Lord  had  free  course  and 
was  glorified. 

This  meeting  opened  the  hearts  and  minds  of 
the  people  for  any  future  work  to  which  the  Lord 
might  call  us  in  the  city  of  Xenia. 


Holhrook's  ScJiool,  159 


Lebanon,  Warren  Co.,  Ohio,  December  Qth,  1874. 

We  went  to  Lebanon,  Ohio,  December  6tli,  1874, 
to  hold  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  Protestant  M.  E. 
Church.  Only  continued  there  one  week,  being  there 
two  Sabbaths.  The  meetings  were  large,  many  of 
the  students  from  Professor  Holbrook's  School  at- 
tended with  the  Professor  who  gave  us  a  most  cordial 
greeting  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

We  dined  with  him  at  his  home  on  one  Sabbath, 
and  he  was  much  pleased  with  the  meetings  and  said 
my  great  school  here  needs  just  such  meetings  as 
you  are  holding. 

We  must  have  the  spiritual  man,  as  well  as  the 
mental  cultivated.  Many  arose  in  the  meetings  for 
prayer  and  some  professed  conversion.  But  the 
church  was  dead,  and  cold,  and  we  could  not  spend 
much  time. 

There  is  a  hand  Divine  that  leads — 
A  voice  that  trusting  souls  can  know, 

And  they  who  watch  and  trust  can  see 
When  God  would  have  them  stay  or  go. 

From  Lebanon  we  returned  to  Spring  Valley 
and  remained  at  home  until  after  the  holidays. 

We  put  our  children  in  school  and  adjusted  our 
household  affairs. 

London,  Madison  Co.,  Ohio. 

On  the  first  day  of  February,  1875,  we  went 
from  our  home  in  Spring  Valley,  Ohio,  to  London, 
Madison  Co.,  Ohio.  We  had  no  acquaintance  there 
and  there  was  no  Friends  meetings  near.  The  Lord 
led  us  there,  that  souls  might  be  saved. 

It  occurred  on  this  wise :  Madison  Co.,  Ohio,  is 
in  the  midst  of  a  fine  stock  raising  country,  and  the 


160  Great  Meeting  at  London,  Ohio. 

stockmen  every  Tuesday  in  each  month  had  what 
they  termed  *' stock  sales,"  to  which  the  people  of  the 
county  and  surrounding  country  brought  their  stock 
to  sell,  and  it  was  auctioned  off  to  the  highest  bidder. 
This  brought  a  good  many  people  from  distant  coun- 
ties. So  it  was  that  Moses  Walton,  Sr.,  of  Spring 
Valley,  one  of  our  friends,  had  been  to  the  London 
*' Stock  Sales,"  and  was  telling  us  of  the  great  con- 
course of  people  who  assembled  there  at  these  sales ; 
and  also  of  the  sinfulness  of  the  town  of  London,  and 
how  much  they  needed  a  meeting.  When  he  was 
through  with  his  narration,  Esther  said:  "There  is 
just  where  I  want  to  go  and  hold  a  meeting.  I  feel 
that  the  Lord  is  impressing  this  place  upon  my 
mind."  The  Lord  seemed  to  lay  the  burden  of  going 
to  London  more  especially  upon  her,  as  at  some  other 
time,  and  place  he  has  laid  it  upon  me. 

So  we  finally  concluded  to  go  to  London  and  hold 
some  meetings.  In  consultation  together,  Esther 
said  she  thought  we  need  not  write  to  any  one  there, 
but  just  go  to  London  and  make  any  arrangement 
that  seemed  best  when  we  arrived.  Moses  Walton 
went  with  us,  and  we  put  up  at  one  of  the  hotels,  and 
after  dinner  we  sent  Moses  Walton  to  find  the  Metho- 
dist minister,  tell  him  who  we  were,  and  ask  him  to 
come  and  see  us,  as  we  desired  to  talk  with  him  with 
regard  to  holding  some  meetings.  He  soon  came; 
we  found  him  to  be  a  gentleman,  as  well  as  a  Chris- 
tian. We  made  known  to  him  our  business,  and  that 
we  desired  a  meeting  house  to  hold  some  meetings. 
He  listened  to  us  and  informed  us  that  we  could  have 
the  Methodist  house,  which  offer  we  accepted  with 
thanks.  There  were  many  people  in  London  the  day 
we  arrived,  for  it  was  "Cattle  Sales  Day."  So  we 
had  an  opportunity  of  publishing  our  meeting  quite 
extensively. 


London,  Ohio.  161 

We  appointed  a  meeting  the  same  night  of  our 
arrival,  but  when  we  came  to  the  meeting  house  it 
had  not  been  opened,  though  quite  a  number  of  peo- 
ple had  arrived.  The  sexton  was  in  bad  humor,  and 
we  had  to  stand  there  and  wait  until  he  was  sent  for. 
We  had  a  good  meeting  that  night,  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  persons  being  present.  The  following 
night  the  large  room  was  filled,  and  from  that  time  on 
there  were  crowds  of  people  came  and  often  they 
could  not  get  in  the  house. 

The  second  night  of  the  meeting  many  expressed 
a  desire  to  become  Christians,  making  this  known  by 
standing  up  in  the  congregation.  From  this  time  on 
the  interest  in  the  meetings  increased,  and  they  be- 
came the  all-absorbing  topic  of  conversation  in  all 
circles  of  society.  Scores  of  men  and  women  who 
had  lived  under  the  shadow  of  the  churches  all  their 
lives,  and  had  heard  the  Gospel  preached,  and  had 
remained  indifferent  to  the  claims  of  religion,  were 
now  earnestly  asking  the  question,  "What  must  I 
do  to  be  saved?"  Nightly  the  altar  was  crowded  with 
penitents,  and  nightly  many  of  them  were  gloriously 
converted  and  gave  sweet  testimony  of  free  forgive- 
ness through  the  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
people  came  to  the  meetings  from  the  villages  and 
country  around;  the  revival  spread  all  through  the 
county. 

I  here  quote  a  few  sentences  from  a  letter  re- 
ceived from  a  friend  in  Xenia,  while  our  meetings 
were  in  progress  in  London,  to  show  the  interest 
there  was  among  the  people.  This  friend  says: 
'•John  Connable  told  me  today  that  a  man  came  to 
the  Park  House  and  said  he  was  from  London,  and 
that  your  meeting  was  like  a  camp  meeting.  The 
streets,  and  lots  and  aUeys  were   full   of  horses, 


162  Croiuds  of  People, 

sleighs  and  wagons  and  carriages,  and  that  there 
never  was  such  a  time  in  London  before." 

There  were  quite  a  number  of  the  members  of 
the  Ohio  Legislature  from  Columbus  came  down  one 
night  and  attended  the  meeting;  all  classes  and 
grades  of  people  in  the  town  and  community  were 
reached  and  many  of  the  prominent  business  and 
professional  men  were  brought  to  Christ.  Three  or 
four  prominent  lawyers  were  converted.  Brother 
Monroe,  the  Methodist  minister,  gave  the  meeting 
entirely  up  to  us  to  conduct  as  the  spirit  should  lead, 
but  gave  his  presence  and  influence  through  the  en- 
tire course  of  the  meetings.  There  was  a  yoimg  man, 
the  son  of  an  old  drayman,  who  attended  the  meet- 
ings from  the  first,  and  was  a  most  earnest  seeker, 
and  always  as  soon  as  an  invitation  was  given  for 
seekers,  he  would  immediately  come  forward  and 
kneel  at  the  seekers'  bench,  and  while  more  than  a 
hundred  had  been  converted,  this  young  man  seemed 
to  receive  no  benefit,  but  he  was  persistent  and  still 
came.  We  became  very  anxious  about  him,  he  ap- 
peared so  indifferent  when  he  did  come,  we  could  not 
induce  him  to  pray  vocally,  and  the  people  began  to 
think  he  never  would  be  converted— and  his  father, 
the  old  wicked  dra^inan,  when  asked  one  day  if  his 
son  was  yet  converted,  remarked,  "no,  he  is  not, 
and  I  think  hell  will  freeze  over  before  he  is."  But 
the  boy  came  to  the  meeting  the  same  evening  that 
the  above  conversation  occurred  with  the  neighbor 
and  he  was  most  wonderfully  converted,  and  there 
was  such  a  marked  change  in  him  that  the  old  dray- 
man said:  **I  am  going  to  the  meeting  myself  and 
see  what  they  are  doing  there."  (He  had  not  yet 
been  to  the  meetings.) 

He  came,  and  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  reached  his 
heart,  and  in  a  few  days  the  father  of  the  boy  found 


Mrs.  Sparks.  163 

the  Saviour,  and  they  have  remained  for  more  than 
ten  years  the  most  faithful  Christians  among  the 
converts  and  are  still  on  their  way  and  happy.  There 
were  a  number  of  the  converts  who  became  efficient 
workers,  and  standard  bearers  in  the  church.  There 
was  a  Mrs.  Sparks,  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  who  was  in  a  backslidden  and  discouraged 
state ;  she  was  renewed  and  we  encouraged  her  to  go 
out  into  the  field  and  work,  for  she  had  a  gift  in  the 
ministry  and  was  called  to  preach.  She  went  im- 
mediately to  work  and  was  one  of  the  most  efficient 
workers,  and  most  successful  in  bringing  souls  to 
Christ  that  we  haA^e  ever  met  in  our  work.  She  was 
a  beautiful  singer  and  when  she  preached  and  ex- 
horted, she  told  the  story  of  the  cross  with  an  unc- 
tion, simplicity  and  pathos  that  reached  both  the 
mind  and  hearts  of  her  hearers,  and  in  the  two  or 
three  years  of  her  ministry,  (for  she  only  lived  a 
short  time)  she  was  the  means  of  hundreds  being 
brought  to  Christ. 

I  do  not  know  that  I  can  do  better  than  finish  the 
account  of  our  meetings  at  London  with  some  of  the 
press  reports. 

''The  Great  Revival 

now  in  progress  at  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
is  the  most  extensive  ever  held  by  any  denomination 
in  this  town.  On  last  sales  day  a  couple  of  Quakers 
from  Spring  Valley,  Ohio,  (Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame) 
came  here  and  commenced  services  in  the  evening, 
and  since  that  time  meetings  have  been  continuing 
day  and  night  with  good  success,  nearly  one  hundred 
conversions  having  already  taken  place.  As  high  as 
fifty  and  sixty  persons  have  been  down  at  the  altar 
at  one  time,  embracing  Lawyers,  Merchants,  Bank- 


164  London,  Ohio, 

ers,  Mechanics  and  men  from  all  the  walks  of  life, 
anxiously  seeking  for  the  pearl  of  great  price.  Peo- 
ple come  a  distance  of  ten  and  fifteen  miles.  This  is 
imdoubtedly  the  most  successful  revival  ever  held  in 
our  town."  Another  account  from  one  of  the  Lon- 
don papers  is  as  follows : 

*'The  Wonderful  Revival/' 

**  London  is  having  one  of  the  greatest  revivals 
it  ever  experienced.  On  Tuesday,  February  2,  a 
Quaker  gentleman  and  lady  from  Spring  Valley  ar- 
rived in  London,  and  on  that  evening  held  services 
in  the  Methodist  Church.  They  asked  permission 
to  continue  the  meetings  for  a  few  evenings,  which 
was  readily  granted.  The  result  was  that  their 
preaching  was  so  well  received  and  so  interesting  to 
all  who  heard  them  that  they  concluded  to  stay  an- 
other week.  Each  meeting  the  congregation  in- 
creased, until  the  house  was  filled  to  its  utmost  ca- 
pacity, and  numbers  were  unable  to  gain  admit- 
tance. Business  lags  on  account  of  the  excitement, 
and  the  people  of  London  will  hardly  talk  on  any 
other  subject."— (7apa. 

''London,  Madison  Co.,  Ohio." 
Another  Account. 

"Last  night  was  the  first  night  for  five  weeks 
that  services  have  not  been  held  in  the  M.  E.  Church. 
Revs.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  left  for  their  home  last 
Thursday,  Mr.  Frame  recovering  sufficiently  to 
travel.  Never  have  a  family  of  simply  five  w6eks' 
residence  left  London,  taking  so  much  good  will, 
good  wishes,  Godspeeds  and  real  affection  of  our 
citizens  as  did  this  family  of  four  persons.    In  their 


When  the  Quakers  Came  to  London.        165 

entire  sojourn  here,  even  the  most  cynical  has  failed 
to  drop  a  remark  that  would  reflect  a  shadow  upon 
the  labors,  and  accomplishments,  the  purity  of  the 
practice,  as  well  as  the  preaching  of  these  unostenta- 
tious preachers.  They  have  done  a  noble  and  ines- 
timable work,  whose  magnitude  no  words  can  now 
limit  and  define. 

"We  feel  sure  that  the  hundreds  who  have  been 
converted  will  remain  faithful  and  will  frequently 
look  back  and  date  the  beginning  of  their  real  happi- 
ness to  simply  'When  the  Quakers  came  to  London.' 
During  the  time  these  two  Evangelists  were  here 
they  held  meetings  twice,  and  sometimes  three  times 
each  day,  and  as  a  result  more  than  two  hundred 
were  converted  in  the  town  and  five  hundred  in  the 
county,  embracing  men,  women  and  children;  in 
some  instances  whole  families  were  to  be  found 
kneeling  at  the  altar  at  the  same  time.  The  'leave 
taking  meeting'  on  Thursday  night  was  a  very  in- 
teresting one,  and  will  be  long  remembered  by  those 
participating.  The  new  converts  were  called  to  the 
front  and  looked  like  a  regiment  just  starting  for 
the  seat  of  war.  They  were  taken  by  the  hand  by 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  and  each  and  all  given  a  wel- 
come and  a  word  of  encouragement."— Z/0?^cZo^ 
Neivs, 

I  close  the  account  of  our  meetings  at  London 
by  copying  an  account  clipped  from  the  Western 
Christian  Advocate,  given  by  Brother  Monroe,  pas- 
tor of  the  M.  E.  Church  at  London,  while  we  were 
there. 

"Rev.  T.  H.  Monroe  writes  April  24th,  1875 :  We 
have  had  an  interesting  work  in  London  Ohio  Con- 
ference. After  a  meeting  of  six  weeks'  continuance 
by  myself,  very  profitable  to  the  church,  but  only  six 
conversions,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  Quakers,  came 


166  Camp  Meeting  at  Dayton,  Ohio. 

amongst  us,  total  strangers,  and  God  crowned  their 
efforts  with  remarkable  success.  Mrs.  Frame  stated 
that  for  weeks  she  was  deeply  impressed  to  come  to 
London.  Curiosity  to  hear  a  woman  at  first  at- 
tracted some,  but  the  pure  and  powerful  preaching 
brought  many  from  miles  around,  and  God  helped 
the  word  in  a  remarkable  manner.  About  two  hun- 
dred were  converted.  Of  these  one  hundred  and  ten 
united  with  us,  and  about  twenty-five  with  the  Pres- 
byterian; some  forty-five  were  converted  whose 
names  were  already  on  the  church  records,  and  the 
church  was  never  more  spiritual.'* 

Dayton,  Ohio. 

After  returning  home  from  London  we  held  a 
week's  meeting  at  Spring  Valley,  and  on  the  17th  of 
March  we  went  to  Dayton,  Ohio,  to  hold  meetings  in 
Grace  M.  E.  Church,  Dr.  Pearn,  pastor.  We  held 
two  meetings  each  day,  and  remained  until  the  24th. 

From  this  meeting  we  returned  to  our  home, 
and  among  many  letters  of  invitations  to  hold  and 
attend  meetings  was  the  following : 

^'Dayton,  O.,  March  30th,  1875. 

*'We,  the  undersigned  cottage  owners  at  Em- 
bury Park,  and  patrons  of  the  Dayton  Camp  Meet- 
ing, extend  to  our  dearly  beloved  brother  and  sister, 
Nathan  and  Esther  Frame,  a  cordial  invitation  to  at- 
tend our  approaching  Camp  Meeting  to  commence 
July  27th,  and  closing  August  6th.  You  will  be 
cared  for.  Samuel  Scott, 

^'Secretary. 

**  Committee— John  L.  Prugh,  William  H.  Pitz, 
Mrs.  S.  A.  Hoglin,  S.  J.  Marshall,  M.  A.  Robinson, 
E.  Lewis,  J.  W.  Sulivan,  0.  A.  Starr,  C.  H.  Ray- 
mond, Frank  A.  Scott,  John  Zeigler,  S.  D.  Rey- 
nolds, P.  H.  Maymir,  A.  H.  Nixon." 


The  Lord  Leadeth.  167 

The  Embury  Park  Camp  Ground  is  a  beauti- 
ful forest  grove  just  outside  of  the  corporate  limits 
of  the  city  of  Dayton,  Ohio,  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
big  Miami  river. 

Indianapolis,  Indiana., 

It  might  not  be  amiss  to  say  at  this  time,  that 
though  we  might  have  many  pressing  invitations  to 
hold  meetings,  and  at  large  cities,  and  accompanied 
by  offers  of  remuneration,  we  always  laid  them  be- 
fore the  Lord  in  prayer  and  endeavored  to  know  the 
mind  of  the  Spirit,  and  follow  where  the  Lord  led 
us,  sometimes  preferring  poor  and  small  congrega- 
tions to  large  and  wealthy  ones,  and  going  to  small 
villages  and  country  meetings  instead  of  to  the  great 
cities.  Many  times  our  friends  have  told  us  we 
should  not  go  to  these  small  meetings,  but  we  told 
them  it  was  better  to  follow  the  Lord  and  trust  in 
Him.  On  July  23d,  1875,  we  went  to  Friends^  Meet- 
ing House  at  Indianapolis  to  hold  some  meetings; 
we  held  only  a  few  and  were  also  at  one  or  two  even- 
ings at  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
rooms.  From  Indianapolis  we  returned  home  and 
remained  until  the  time  of  the  Indiana  yearly  meet- 
ing at  Richmond.  There  was  little  of  the  time  that 
we  were  not  either  holding  series  of  meetings  or  else 
attending  some  of  our  own  meetings  among  friends 
or  some  home  mission  or  other  gospel  work.  My 
health  was  quite  poor  at  this  time. 


168  From  Ohio  to  North  Carolina. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

North  Carolina, 

Having  procured  proper  credentials  from  our 
monthly  meeting  we  started  November  1st  from 
Spring  Valley,  Ohio,  to  attend  North  Carolina  year- 
ly meetings  of  Friends  held  at  New  Garden,  near 
Greensboro. 

We  w^ent  by  rail  to  Cincinnati,  then  took  an 
Ohio  river  steamer  and  went  up  the  Ohio  river  as 
far  as  Huntington  in  West  Virginia.  There  we  took 
passage  on  the  rail  for  Greensboro,  North  Carolina. 
This  was  the  first  time  that  we  had  ever  been  in  any 
of  the  Southern  states.  We  had  a  most  delightful 
trip  along  the  Kanawha  Valley,  with  the  moun- 
tains on  either  side,  and  the  train  sweeping  around 
the  curves,  running  close  up  under  the  beetling  crags 
and  towering,  majestic  rocks,  crossing  little  gems  of 
valleys'  and  being  carried  over  deep  ravines,  on  high 
bridges,  with  the  tops  of  the  trees  sometimes  beneath 
us,  giving  one  the  sensation  of  flying,  and  alighting 
on  the  opposite  ridge.  Then  there  were  wooded 
slopes  of  the  mountain  sides  covered  with  the  giants 
of  the  forest,  the  sheltered  coves,  the  home  of  deli- 
cate and  lovely  ferns,  shut  in  from  the  rough  winds 
and  storms,  and  watered  by  the  silver  cascades  flow- 
ing over  the  ledges  of  rocks. 

New  Garden  is  historic  ground.  Near  where 
the  Friends'  meeting  house  stands  was  the  battle 
fought  between  Cornwallis  and  General  Greene,  in 
which  the  English  general  was  defeated.  General 
Greene  took  the  Friends'  meeting  house,  which  was 
then  unfinished,  for  a  hospital  for  his  wounded  men, 
and  there  were  some  of  the  boards  that  had  been  pre- 


&q 


O 


Historic  Meeting-House.  169 

pared  for  sealing  overhead.  These  he  took  to  make 
tables  on  which  to  lay  the  wounded  who  needed  sur- 
gical operations.  The  blood  stains  were  left  on.  the 
boards,  which  after  the  army  had  gone  were  used  for 
sealing  the  meeting  house. 

We  visited  this  old  meeting  house,  and  though 
a  century  had  passed  we  saw  on  the  ceiling  the  im- 
print of  hands  in  many  places.  A  hundred  years  had 
not  sufficed  to  erase  these  blood  stains.  It  was  a  very 
remarkable  occurrence.  We  went  to  the  Friends' 
cemetery,  where  some  of  the  Revolutionary  soldiers 
had  been  buried,  and  great  trees  were  growing  on 
their  graves.  Beside  them  slept  many  of  the  old 
Friends  who  had  battled  nobly  for  the  cause  of  lib- 
erty, whose  lives  had  been  a  sacrifice  for  their  coun- 
try and  for  humanity.  But  their  weapons  had  not 
been  carnal,  but  spiritual,  and  mighty  through  God 
to  pull  down  the  strongholds  of  sin.  As  we  lingered 
at  this  historic  old  cemetery  and  read  many  of  the 
simple  epitaphs  on  the  low  tombstones  and  looked 
at  the  little  mounds  of  earth  without  any  stone  at 
head  or  foot,  we  almost  involuntarily  repeated  the 
word  of  the  sacred  volume,  "Blessed  are  the  dead 
who  die  in  the  Lord." 

There  were  a  great  many  ministers  from  a  dis- 
tance at  this  yearly  meeting.  We  remained  a  few 
days  after  the  adjournment  of  the  yearly  meeting 
and  visited  one  or  two  of  the  meetings  of  Friends 
nearby.  The  Friends  at  Deep  River  had  built  a  new 
meeting  house  and  Esther  preached  the  opening  ser- 
mon. This  meeting  house  was  near  her  mother's  old 
home;  the  new  house,  and  the  occasion  made  it  a 
memorable  one,  and  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  was 
wonderfully  with  us. 

We  returned  toward  home  to  Richmond,  Vir- 
ginia, went  to  see  the  old  Libby  Prison,  and  from 


170  Visit  Lihhy  Prison, 

there  took  the  rail  across  through  Washington,  D. 
C,  to  Philadelphia  to  attend  a  Sabbath  School  bien- 
nial convention.  From  there  came  back  to  Rich- 
mond, Virginia,  then  by  way  of  the  Chesapeake  and 
Ohio  railroad  home,  as  far  as  Huntington;  from 
there  to  Cincinnati  by  boat. 

"November  now,  with  his  cold  chilling  blast 
Was  chanting  his  dirge  o'er  Autumn's  low  bier. 
The  loud  roaring  winds  were  hurrying  apast 
Disturbing  the  leaves,  all  withered  and  sear." 

Xenia,  Ohio. 

Soon  after  the  holidays  we  went  to  Xenia,  Ohio, 
to  hold  some  meetings.  There  was  a  little  brick 
meeting  house  owned  by  the  Protestant  Methodists, 
and  not  used  by  them.  We  obtained  this  house  to 
hold  meetings  in,  as  there  was  some  prejudice  among 
the  churches  against  each  other.  Xenia  was  our 
county  town.  The  house  was  filled  from  the  first 
meeting.  Xenia  is  a  city  of  churches.  There  are  two 
Methodist,  one  Baptist,  one  German  Reform,  two 
Presbyterian  and  three  United  Presbjrterian,  and 
the  last  named  denomination  have  a  Theological  Col- 
lege. A  year  or  two  before  commencing  this  series 
of  meetings  we  had  been  assisting  Brother  D.  J. 
Starr,  pastor  of  Trinity  M.  E.  Church.  People  from 
all  the  churches  came  to  the  meeting,  some  of  them 
to  receive  benefit,  and  others  from  curiosity,  and  to 
see  the  Quakers  and  hear  the  woman  preacher,  but 
the  most  of  those  who  came  were  sinners,  and  the 
power  of  conviction  for  sin  soon  seized  upon  them; 
and  many  penitents  came  forward  for  prayers  and 
were  converted,  many  stood  up  in  the  congregation. 

The  interest  in  the  meetings  became  very  great 
and  the  little  house  would  accommodate  but  a  very 


Esther  Stricken  With  Paralysis,  171 

small  part  of  the  multitude  who  came.  They  were 
turned  away  by  hundreds.  So  anxious  were  the  peo- 
ple to  attend  the  meetings  that  the  matter  was  laid 
before  the  ministers  of  the  city  by  some  of  the  church 
members,  and  these  ministers  decided  to  give  us  an 
invitation  to  hold  our  meetings  in  the  largest  church 
in  the  place,  the  Presbyterian  house.  We  accepted 
their  kindly  invitation,  as  they  gave  us  the  house 
and  allowed  us  to  hold  the  meeting  in  our  own  man- 
ner. This  large  house  would  not  hold  the  multitude 
who  wanted  to  attend ;  our  meetings  continued  with 
great  interest  and  success  until  January  23d,  1876. 
On  this  evening  there  was  an  immense  concourse 
of  people  present  and  the  large  room  was  filled  to  its 
utmost  capacity.  Esther  was  preaching  when,  near 
the  conclusion  of  her  sermon,  she  was  stricken  in  an 
instant  by  paralysis  and  fell  to  the  floor.  I  sprang 
to  my  feet  and  immediately  requested  the  audience 
to  remain  perfectly  quiet,  called  for  a  physician  who 
was  sitting  near  by,  and  for  a  few  minutes  she  was 
unconscious,  but  soon  recovered  some,  and  we  laid 
her  on  a  large  settee  that  stood  near  the  pulpit.  As 
soon  as  she  was  able  to  speak,  she  requested  that  we 
should  proceed  with  the  meeting,  which  we  did  by 
having  a  testimony  meeting  and  inviting  seekers  for- 
ward. 

There  are  times  in  the  history  of  our  lives  when 
all  the  past  and  the  present  seem  croivded  into  a  mo- 
ment, and  we  stand  helpless  in  the  midst  of  them. 
I  felt  perfectly  calm;  had  full  possession  of  all  my 
faculties,  and  yet  I  realized  fully  that  my  dear  wife 
might  never  preach  another  sermon,  and  might  be 
carried  to  our  darling  children  at  home,  and  upon 
the  lips,  the  warm  kiss  where  love  had  been  im- 
printed but  a  few  short  days  ago,  I  might  carry  her 
home  for  them  to  kiss  her  cold  dead  face,  and  then 


172  Face  to  Face  With  Death, 

lay  her  away  while  they,  motherless  little  ones,  must 
tread  the  weary  way  of  life  alone.  But  while  all  this 
rushed  upon  me,  my  soul  was  at  rest  in  God,  and  I 
felt  that  I  could  conunit  all  unto  Him ;  but  with  this 
came  the  comforting  thought  that  amounted  almost 
to  knowledge,  that  her  tvork  tvas  not  done;  and  that 
even  this  dispensation  should  be  to  the  glory  of  God. 
The  people  with  strong  pleadings  besought  us  to  re- 
main and  continue  the  meetings.  Brother  Yockey, 
the  German  Reform  minister,  said  if  Esther  could 
only  come  and  sit  in  the  meetings  and  not  preach, 
and  take  no  part  in  the  vocal  services,  they  wanted 
us  to  remain,  but  we  felt  that  she  must  be  taken 
home  and  have  entire  quietness  for  a  time. 

We  tried  to  induce  the  ministers  to  continue  the 
meetings,  but  they  declined;  it  would  be  of  no  use, 
for  there  was  none  among  them  to  lead  who  could 
unite  the  elements,  they  said.  So  we  closed  our 
series  of  meetings  and  the  ministers  of  the  city  held 
meetings  in  their  several  churches  for  a  time  and 
gathered  in  the  souls  who  had  been  converted.  One 
hundred  had  been  converted,  and  almost  the  whole 
mass  of  sinners  were  under  conviction  for  salvation, 
and  many  of  them  inquiring  what  they  must  do  to  be 
saved.  The  churches  had  been  greatly  revived,  many 
backsliders  reclaimed.  There  was  one  man  who  at- 
tended the  meetings  all  through  who  had  not  been 
to  meeting  for  fifteen  years. 

We  made  our  home  at  John  and  Gussey  Conna- 
ble's  most  of  the  time  while  at  Xenia,  and  dear  and 
precious  friends  they  were  then,  and  have  continued 
so  to  be  all  through  the  years  since.  May  God  ever 
bless  them  and  lead  them  all  into  the  city  of  God. 
We  also  for  a  short  time  stayed  at  Matthew  and 
Fanny  Connable's,  brother  and  sister  of  John  and 
Gussey.   And  by  each  family  all  the  attention  that  we 


Newspaper  C orrespondence.  1T3 

needed  was  shown  us.  From  Xenia  we  returned 
home— to  Spring  Valley,  where  we  remained  four 
days  with  our  darling  children. 

Nathan    and   Esther   Frame,    the    Evangelists,    at 

Xenia,  Ohio. 
(From  Torclilight.) 

''For  nearly  a  month  nightly  there  has  assembled 
a  multitude  of  people  from  all  classes  of  society  to 
hear  these  successful  evangelists  expound  the  Gospel. 
Mr.  Frame  seemed  to  confine  his  efforts  mainly  to  a 
clear  exposition  of  Scriptural  truth.  He  evidently 
possesses  a  remarkable  comprehension  and  famili- 
arity with  the  prophetical  and  historical  portions  of 
the  Bible.  He  betrays  much  of  poetry  and  love  of 
nature  in  his  composition,  often  transferring  the 
thought  of  his  hearers  to  that  hallowed  spot  where 
the  trip  seems  shortest  from  nature  up  to  God,  occa- 
sionally gratifying  the  ear  with  a  poetic  sentiment  of 
great  beauty.  In  social  life  we  find  him  a  cultivated 
gentleman,  possessing  that  rare  mental  faculty  of 
combining  or  associating  objects  and  thought  and 
presenting  in  aspects  entirely  new,  unexpectedly  pro- 
ducing surprises  with  a  laughable  keenness  and  force 
or  touching  the  heart  with  pathetic  tenderness. 

"Esther  Frame  comes  with  a  heart  overflowing 
with  love  to  God  and  humanity.  Entering  the  church 
quietly  and  promptly,  without  that  abruptness  with 
one  whose  motions  are  quick  and  decided,  she  is 
scarcely  seated,  when  her  soft,  sweet  voice  flows  forth 
in  that  grand  old  hymn,  "All  Hail  the  Power  of 
Jesus'  Name."  O,  with  what  a  thrilling  power  re- 
sounded that  name  echoed  from  every  Christian 
heart  inspired  by  the  voice  of  one  so  filled  with  God's 
love.  She  silently  falls  upon  her  knees,  and  again 
the  voice  is  heard  in  prayer.  'Tis  then  a  deeper, 
purer  light  radiates  her  brow;  her  eyes  melt  with 


174  Esther  Frame. 

tenderness,  and  with  a  countenance  teeming  with, 
benevolence,  a  heart  beating  with  sympathy,  her 
prayer  rises  like  a  cloud  of  sweet  incense  to  heaven, 
pleading  with  all  the  pathos  of  a  woman's  loving 
heart  for  the  salvation  of  perishing  souls.  Arising 
from  her  supplication,  she  seems  to  penetrate  the 
hearts  of  her  vast  audience  with  a  smile  of  human 
sympathy,  as  if  longing  to  gather  every  weary  wan- 
derer o'er  life's  barren  waste  of  sin  away  to  the 
green  pastures  and  beside  the  still  waters  of  redeem- 
ing love. 

''Hundreds  of  souls  in  our  city,  through  the  in- 
strumentality of  these  Christian  laborers,  have  been 
led  to  cast  their  burden  on  the  Lord.  The  invisible 
power  of  this  wave  of  influence  will  only  be  unfolded 
when  it  beats  upon  the  shores  of  the  eternal  world. 
Hearts  and  homes  in  Xenia  will  ever  remain  open  to 
these  noble  evangelists  who  have  sacrificed  home  and 
friends  to  preach  a  crucified,  but  risen  Saviour. 

''MlEIAM.'^ 

Xenia,  Ohio. 

Before  giving  an  account  of  our  work  at  Wash- 
ington C.  H.,  I  copy  a  little  poem  written  by  a  lady 
residing  in  Xenia. 

(From  the  Xenia  Torchlight.) 
'TO  MRS.  FRAME. 

"Hast  cast  thy  anchor  safe  within  the  vail  ? 

Aye,  it  hath  seemed 
That,  to  beHeve  thee  one  of  Qirist's  redeemed 
Was  but  to  look  into  thy  peaceful  face 
And  read  the  story  of  His  saving  grace. 
Hath  saved  thee  fully  and  will  make  thee  holy. 

This  we  believe. 
And  can  but  pray  that  we  the  gift  receive. 


Beautiful  Poem.  175 

That  cleansed  thy  feet,  thy  hand,  thy  heart,  thy  head. 
And  made  the  evangel's  pathway  sweet  to  tread. 

A  precious  friend  and  leader  unto  thee ; 

Thy  footsteps  cannot  falter  as  they  go, 

For  He  will  guide  thee  through  the  pearly  gates, 

To  where  a  starry  crown  thy  coming  waits. 

Art  thankful  that  He  grants  thee  work  to  do  ? 

We  know  full  well, 
How  gladly  thy  dear  lips  the  story  tell, 
The  old,  old  story,  yet  so  new,  and  true. 
On  thirsty  souls  it  falls  like  Hermon's  dew. 
And  may  He  keep  thee  in  His  perfect  grace, 

Shall  be  our  prayer. 
And  as  thy  feet  shall  wander  here  and  there, 
May  the  rich  bounties  of  His  love  attend 
To  guard  and  bless  thee  to  the  happy  end. 

"Sue  Murdock." 


Washington  C.  E.,  Ohio. 

Monday  February  1st,  1876,  left  Spring  "Valley 
at  7 :40  a.  m.  for  Washington  Court  House  to  hold  a 
series  of  meetings.  Weather  beautiful  and  clear. 
Distributed  one  hundred  pages  of  tracts  in  going 
from  Spring  VaUey  to  Morrow-Town.  Arrived  at 
Washington  C.  H.  at  2  o'clock  p.  m.;  was  met  at  the 
depot  by  J.  Gardner,  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  Church; 
attended  our  first  meeting  there  in  the  evening. 

Our  meetings  continued  until  February  17th, 
meetings  aU  the  time  of  increasing  interest  and 
power.  There  was  one  hundred  conversions  in  that 
time.  Some  professed  sanctification,  and  the 
churches  were  greatly  built  up  and  strengthened  in 
Christian  love  and  fellowship  with  each  other. 
Many  backsliders  were  reclaimed ;  a  large  proportion 


176  Washington  C.  H. 

who  were  converted  were  members  of  tlie  various 
churches.  When  we  went  there  a  majority  of  the 
choir  were  dancers.  We  would  just  as  soon  have  a 
dancing  preacher  as  a  dancing  choir. 

Most  of  these  dancers  in  the  choir  were  con- 
victed and  left  the  dance.  There  was  one  young 
lady,  a  teacher  in  the  public  school,  who  was  con- 
verted and  became  a  leading  spirit  in  the  meeting,  as 
she  had  been  in  the  world.  The  dancing  teacher  was 
converted  and  became  a  class  leader  in  the  Methodist 
church ;  his  daughter  was  also  saved.  This  girl  said, 
*'I  have  been  living  on  husks  all  my  life  and  never 
had  anj^hing  good  to  eat  until  tonight." 

We  made  our  home  at  dear  Brother  and  Sister 
Robinson's. 

''  One  night  after  our  meeting  had  closed  and  we 
were  going  to  our  home  and  as  we  passed  by  the 
colored  people's  church  and  they  were  holding  a  pro- 
tracted meeting  and  their  meeting  had  not  closed  we 
concluded  to  stop  and  hear  them  sing.  We  took  a 
vacant  seat  at  the  back  part  of  the  house.  Their 
preacher  immediately  came  to  us  and  wanted  Esther 
to  speak  some  to  them.  She  told  him  she  was  too 
tired,  but  he  insisted  that  she  could  do  his  people  so 
much  good  if  she  only  spoke  five  minutes.  I  told 
them  that  she  must  be  excused,  and  added  that  we 
might  come  back  sometime.  Then  he  said:  ''If  you 
goes  away,  you'll  neveh  come  back,  no  mo';  a  bird  in 
han'  am  worth  two  in  de  bush." 

Jamestotvn,  Ohio. 

From  Washington  C.  H.  we  returned  home  and 
remained  there  one  night  with  our  children,  and  on 
the  19th  inst.  started  for  Jamestown,  Greene  County, 
Ohio,  arriving  there  at  5  o'clock  in  the  evening; 


Jamestown,  Ohio,  177 

meeting  the  same  evening,  house  well  filled,  and  some 
could  not  gain  admittance.  There  was  much  curi- 
osity to  see  the  Quakers ;  found  the  people  to  be  in- 
telligent, generous  and  kind,  but  there  was  a  low 
state  of  spirituality  in  the  church  and  much  wicked- 
ness in  the  community— drinking  and  gambling  with 
their  accompanying  vices.  But  we  had  great 
liberty  in  preaching  the  Gospel,  and  the  tide  turned 
on  the  Lord's  side,  and  we  had  victory  in  the  name 
of  Christ.  The  church  was  graciously  revived; 
some  professed  heart  cleansing,  and  one  hundred  and 
thirty-five  who  had  not  before  known  the  Saviour 
professed  saving  faith  in  him. 

"We  held  the  last  of  this  series  of  meetings  in 
Jamestown  on  Thursday,  March  3d  at  10  o'clock 
a.  m.  It  was  a  blessed  meeting,  a  fit  sequel  to  what 
had  gone  before.  We  dined  at  our  dear  friends, 
J.  Q.  and  L.  Adams,  at  whose  house  we  made  our 
home  during  our  stay  in  Jamestown.  May  the  Lord 
bless  them.  These  dear  friends  did  all  in  their  power 
to  make  us  comfortable  and  were  diligent  to  supply 
and  even  anticipate  our  wants 

One  morning  during  the  progress  of  these  meet- 
ings, when  the  altar  was  filled  with  seekers,  we  no- 
ticed a  young  woman  of  eighteen  or  twenty  years  of 
age  arise  in  the  congregation,  come  forward  and 
kneel  among  the  penitents.  We  observed  there  was 
a  smile  ran  over  the  faces  of  a  number  of  persons  in 
the  audience.  She  was  a  young  girl  whom  some  vil- 
lain had  robbed  of  her  virtue  under  promise  of  mar- 
riage—more sinned  against  than  sinning ;  and  there 
sat  professors  of  the  religion  of  the  meek  and  lowly 
Saviour,  with  scorn  and  contempt  plainly  written  on 
their  coimtenances,  afraid  they  would  become  pol- 
luted by  the  poor  sorrowing  penitent  at  the  altar. 
God  have  mercy  on  such  people,  especially  w^hen  they 


178  No  Respecter  of  Persons. 

will  weep,  and  pray,  and  mourn  over  men  who  have 
led  these  poor  souls  into  a  life  of  sin  and  shame. 

The  Lord  is  no  respecter  of  persons,  and  may 
the  time  speedily  come  when  sin  in  any  form  shall  be 
branded  by  public  sentiment  in  men,  the  same  as  in 
women,  .When  a  yoimg  man  who  sins  shall  not  be 
tolerated  in  respectable  society  any  more  than  a 
young  woman. 

There  was  another  little  incident  that  occurred 
at  this  meeting,  though  of  a  different  nature.  There 
were  two  women  of  prominence  in  the  community  be- 
longing to  the  M.  E.  Church.  They  said  they  liked 
the  meetings  very  much,  only  they  did  not  believe  in 
shouting  and  excitement,  yet  at  one  of  the  morning 
meetings,  when  there  was  a  wonderfully  felt  sense  of 
the  holy  spirit  manifest  among  the  people  and  many 
were  giving  testimonies  for  the  Lord,  these  two  quiet 
women  began  to  clap  their  hands  and  shout  and  say 
'^ Glory  to  God!"  and  they  made  more  noise  than  all 
the  balance  of  the  audience,  and  finally  one  of  them 
sat  down  on  the  floor  and  said,  *^ Praise  the  Lord! 
I  guess  if  my  husband  should  see  me  now  he  would 
think  I  am  crazy,  but  I  am  clothed  and  in  my  right 
mind,  and  at  the  Master's  feet." 

No  heart  is  pure  that  is  not  passionate,  though 
many  passionate  hearts  are  not  pure,  No  virtue  is 
safe  that  is  not  enthusiastic.  Christianity  is  an  en- 
thusiasm or  it  is  nothing.  If  there  sometimes  ap- 
pears in  the  history  of  the  church  instances  of  a  tone 
which  is  pure  and  high,  without  being  enthusiastic, 
of  a  mood  of  Christianity  which  is  calmly  favorable 
to  virtue  without  being  victorious  against  vice,  it  will 
be  found  that  all  which  is  respectable  in  that  mood 
is  but  the  slowly  subsiding  movement  of  an  early  en- 
thusiasm, and  that  which  is  manifest  in  this  luke- 
warmness  is  mere  form  and  ceremony. 


Excitement  in  Meetings.  179 

Tempests  occasionally  shake  our  dwellings  and 
dissipate  our  commerce,  but  they  scourge  before 
them  the  lazy  elements,  which  without  these  tempests 
would  stagnate  into  pestilence.  Mighty  rivers  over- 
flow their  banks  and  sweep  away  the  landmarks,  but 
leave  the  land  fertilized  to  bring  forth  richer  har- 
vests. 

We  were  now  receiving  so  many  pressing  calls 
from  important  places  and  from  many  different  de- 
nominations that  it  required  all  the  spare  time  I 
could  command  to  answer  them,  and  often  when  we 
wrote  we  could  not  come,  some  church  would  ap- 
point some  one  or  more  as  a  committee  to  come  and 
see  us  personally  and  lay  their  needs  before  us. 
While  we  were  at  Jamestown  two  gentlemen  came 
from  Columbus,  Ohio,  to  Spring  Valley  to  see  us,  but 
not  finding  us  there,  one  of  them  came  on  to  James- 
town, and  after  talking  with  him  we  agreed  to  go  to 
Columbus  from  Jamestown. 

North  High  Street,  Columhus,  Ohio. 

On  the  3d  of  March,  1876,  took  carriage  at 
Jamestown  and  came  to  Cedar^ille,  where  we  took  a 
train  for  Columbus,  arriving  there  at  6  p.  m.  We 
were  met  at  the  depot  by  W.  A.  Hershizer  and  taken 
to  his  home  and  had  our  first  meeting  there  at  7 
o'clock  that  night  in  the  High  Street  Congregational 
Church.  Our  dear  children  were  with  us.  We  were 
much  fatigued  by  excessive  labor. 

Since  the  last  of  November,  1875,  there  had  been 
three  hundred  and  fifty-four  professed  conversions 
in  our  meetings,  many  backsliders  reclaimed,  and  the 
churches  we  had  visited  had  been  cemented  together 
in  love,  differences  adjusted  and  an  impetus  given  to 
Christian  work  that  will  never  cease  while  sinners 


180  At  Columbus,  Ohio, 

are  to  be  saved.  We  are  asking  the  Lord  to  give  us  a 
thousand  souls  this  year,  and  are  expecting  a  glori- 
ous meeting  in  Columbus. 

They  that  trust  in  the  Lord  shall  never  be  con- 
founded. They  shall  be  as  Mount  Zion  which  cannot 
be  moved.  All  the  promises  of  God  are  yea,  and 
amen  to  them  who  are  in  Christ  Jesus. 

We  held  the  last  session  of  our  series  of  meetings 
at  North  High  Street  on  Sabbath,  April  2d,  and 
though  held  in  the  Congregational  Church,  they  were 
not  held  in  the  interest  of  any  denomination ;  nearly 
all  the  churches  in  the  city  were  well  represented. 

There  was  one  hundrd  and  eighty-five  converted 
at  this  meeting,  and  when  conversion  is  mentioned 
we  do  not  refer  to  those  who  stood  up  in  the  congre- 
gation and  said  they  wanted  to  be  Christians,  but 
those  who  gave  clear  Scriptural  evidence  of  it  by 
repentance  toward  God  and  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  and  declared  publicly  that  they  had  passed 
from  death  unto  life.  Some  of  these  had  been  mem- 
bers of  the  churches  a  long  time. 

We  preached  restitution,  where  it  was  in  the 
power  of  the  person  to  make  it,  repentance  toward 
God  and  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  defininig  re- 
pentance to  be  a  real  sorrow  for  sin  and  a  forsaking 
of  it  entirely,  and  without  this  there  could  be  no  for- 
giveness, and  then  taking  the  Lord  at  his  word  *Hhat 
he  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  when  sins  are  con- 
fessed and  when  they  are  forsaken." 

A  good  many  of  the  members  of  the  Ohio  Legis- 
lature attended  our  meetings  here.  The  revival 
spirit  was  felt  all  over  the  city.  There  were  several 
Roman  Catholics  converted.  One  whole  family,  the 
father  and  mother  and  two  grown  daughters.  The 
daughters  and  mother  were  regular  attendants  at 
mass  at  their  own  church.    They  first  came  to  the 


Mr.  Ganson.  181 

meeting  through  curiosity  to  hear  the  woman  preach. 
One  morning  when  the  mother  was  kneeling  at  the 
seekers '  bench  the  Lord  converted  her  and  she  sprang 
to  her  feet  and  said,  "O,  Mrs.  Frame,  ye's  hev 
blessed  me  shure, ' '  but  when  reminded  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  had  saved  her,  she  replied,  ''Well,  the  Laured 
has  blessed  me  thrugh  yes." 

After  five  years  trial  all  of  this  Catholic  family 
remain  exemplary  happy  Christians. 

A  Mr.  Ganson,  conductor  on  the  Little  Miami 
Railroad,  whose  wife  and  daughter  had  been  saved, 
was  himself  brought  under  great  conviction  and 
many  times  arose  and  asked  the  prayers  of  the 
church,  but  would  not  come  to  the  seekers'  bench. 
One  evening  when  many  came  forward  and  Esther 
was  pleading  with  this  man  to  come,  I  was  relating  a 
circumstance  given  by  President  Finney  of  Oberlin 
College.  Finney  was  holding  meetings  at  a  certain 
place  and  many  who  were  deeply  convicted  for  sin 
went  to  a  wood  near  by  and  there  were  converted,  but 
one  prominent  man  who  had  been  a  great  sinner  de- 
clared he  would  not  go  when  the  others  were  going. 
He  said  it  was  foolish ;  said  he  could  be  converted  at 
home,  and  he  never  intended  to  go  to  the  wood.  Fi- 
nally he  became  so  distressed  that  some  told  him  he 
was  proud  and  that  was  the  reason  he  was  imwilling 
to  go  to  the  wood.  He  said  he  was  not  proud  and 
would  prove  it  to  them,  so  he  went  out  to  a  pond  of 
water  and  mud  and  wallowed  in  it,  but  he  got  no  re- 
lief. Finally  he  consented  to  go  to  the  wood,  and 
before  he  arrived  there  he  was  saved.  When  Mr. 
Ganson  heard  me  relate  this  circumstance,  he  said, 
**Mrs.  Frame  that  is  just  what  has  kept  me  from 
going  to  the  seekers'  bench.  I  was  proud.  Now  I 
will  go."    And   Mr.    Ganson  had  not   been  at  the 


182  Want  Us  as  Pastors. 

altar  of  prayer  ten  minutes  until  he  found  peace  in 
believing. 

The  Congregationalists  at  High  Street  offered 
Esther  fifteen  hundred  dollars  to  preach  for  them 
one  year,  and  a  Methodist  church  a  few  squares  away 
offered  me  eight  hundred  dollars,  but  we  told  them 
that  was  not  our  work. 

Our  Home. 

We  had  a  most  delightful  home  at  Brother  and 
Sister  Hershizer's,  who  cared  for  us  and  our  children 
all  the  time  our  meetings  continued  in  Columbus.  If 
they  should  ever  read  these  reminiscences,  we  have 
only  to  say  silver  and  gold  we  have  none,  but  such  as 
we  have  give  we  unto  you;  our  love  for  your  kind 
care  for  us  and  our  children. 

Extract  From  Letter. 

'' Columbus,  Ohio,  Aug.  20th,  1895. 
*^ Nathan  and  Esther  Frame: 

"Dear  Brother  and  Sister:— Some  months  ago 
in  preparing  a  sketch  of  the  Congregational  churches 
here  for  a  history  of  Columbus,  I  found  in  the 
minutes  of  the  High  Street  Congregational  church, 
then  under  the  care  of  H.  C.  Haskell,  that  the 
church  held  a  series  of  meetings  in  March,  1876,  in 
connection  with  the  Methodist  churches  (Third 
Avenue  and  Neil  Chapel)  conducted  by  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Frame,  called  in  the  records  Friends.  A  few 
days  ago  in  a  dispatch  in  one  of  our  city  papers  I 
found  your  names  enrolled  as  members  of  the  yearly 
meeting,  lately  held  at  Wilmington,  Ohio.  I  am 
moved  to  ask  if  you  are  the  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  who 
labored  here  as  above  mentioned.  If  you  are  I  would 


Fair-field,  Ohio.  183 

be  glad  to  learn  in  which  of  the  churches  named  the 
meetings  were  held.  I  doubt  not  that  you  will  be 
pleased  to  learn  that  the  High  street  is  still  flour- 
ishing and  has  over  350  members.  It  now  has  a  new 
meeting  house  on  West  Fourth  Avenue  and  has 
changed  its  name  to  Plymouth  Church.  The  Metho- 
dist churches  have  also  increased  in  numbers  and 
strength.    Yours  in  the  Christian  faith, 

**  Benjamin  Talbot. '' 

April  3d,  1876. 

From  Columbus  we  went  to  Fairfield,  Greene 
county,  Ohio.  This  is  a  town  of  five  or  six  hundred 
inhabitants,  and  contains  two  churches,  Methodist 
Episcopal  and  German  Reform.  Our  meeting  was 
held  in  the  Methodist  house.  Both  churches,  with 
their  pastors,  heartily  co-operated  with  us  in  the 
work.  We  were  kindly  received  and  most  hospit- 
ably entertained  at  the  home  of  Dr.  J.  W.  Greene, 
who  was  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Ohio 
from  Greene  county.  And  much  of  the  good  we  were 
able  to  accomplish  for  the  Lord  in  this  place  was 
largely  due  to  the  doctor  and  his  dear  wife,  who 
were  not  only  host  and  hostess,  but  father  and 
mother  as  well,  to  us  and  our  children.  May  God 
ever  bless  them  and  theirs  with  the  richest  of 
heaven's  benedictions. 

From  the  commencement  of  the  meetings  the 
house  was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity,  and  often 
hundreds  could  not  obtain  admittance.  The  Lord 
himself  seemed  to  be  going  out  after  the  people  and 
bringing  them  in,  and  there  was  constantly  that  felt 
sense  of  the  presence  of  the  invisible  spirit,  subdu- 
ing wicked  and  ungenerate  men,  and  opening  their 
minds  to  listen  with  a  new  and  thrilling  interest  to 


184  Fairfield,  Ohio. 

the  simple  story  of  the  cross,  although  they  had  re- 
jected and  scoffed  at  it  hundreds  of  times  before. 

We  continued  until  April  28th  and  closed  at 
night  with  a  speaking  and  praise  meeting,  after  a 
short  discourse  had  been  preached. 

There  were  one  hundred  and  thirty  testimonies 
in  thirty  minutes.  Testimonies  glowing  with  love 
to  God  and  thrilling  with  pathos  and  power  the  au- 
dience, deep  and  fervent  thanksgiving  and  praises 
were  uttered,  and  sometimes  an  "Amen"  in  appro- 
val of  some  testimony  which  seemed  to  have  pecu- 
liar significance  in  it.  These  joyous  and  happy  ex- 
periences to  which  we  listened  seemed  to  faintly 
foreshadow  the  description  by  John  on  the  Isle  of 
Patmos,  of  the  shout  of  the  redeemed  in  heaven,  say- 
ing, ''Praise  God,  all  ye  his  servants,  and  ye  that 
fear  him,  both  small  and  great. 

''And  I  heard  as  it  were  the  voice  of  many 
waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  a  great  multitude,  and  as 
the  voice  of  mighty  thunderings,   saying  Alleluia; 
for  the  Lord  God  omnipotent  reigneth.    Rev.  XIX 
and  V  and  VI. 

There  were  one  hundred  and  fifty  professed  con- 
version at  these  meetings.  At  one  time  during  the 
meeting  there  were  sixty  forward  for  prayer,  a  large 
number  of  them  past  middle  age  and  some  were  old 
people. 

On  the  last  Sabbath  day  before  the  close  of  the 
meetings  the  venerable  Maxwell  P.  Gadis,  the  well 
known  author  of  "Footprints  of  an  Itinerant,"  was 
present  at  eleven  o'clock  and  in  the  evening,  and 
though  scarcely  able  to  sit  through  the  meetings, 
when  he  saw  the  large  number  come  forward  for 
prayer,  he  sprang  to  his  feet  and  began  to  exhort  the 
people  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 


Maxwell  P.  Gadis.  185 

He  said  it  seemed  to  him  as  if  the  days  of  Wes- 
ley and  Finny,  Carviesso  and  others  had  come  back, 
with  their  lips  touched  with  live  coals  from  off  God's 
altar,  and  full  of  the  eloquence  of  holy  power. 

A  divine  fervor  marked  the  meetings  from  the 
commencement  to  the  close.  Here  follows  two  of  the 
many  press  notices  of  these  meetings : 

Good  News  from  Fairfield,  April  18,  1876. 

(Dayton  Journal.) 

*'In  that  day  shall  ye  say,  Praise  ye  the  Lord; 
proclaim  His  name,  declare  His  doings  among  the 
people;  make  mention  that  His  name  is  exalted." 

I  came  over  here  last  Saturday  to  share  in  the 
refreshing  shower  that  is  falling  upon  Fairfield,  and 
this  morning  I  was  reminded  of  thus  saith  the 
Lord. 

"Go  set  a  watchman  and  let  him  declare  what 
he  seeth.''  The  meeting  has  been  in  jDrogress  over 
two  weeks,  and  is  conducted  by  Nathan  and  Esther 
Frame,  Evangelists  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  God 
has  blessed  their  efforts  in  a  most  remarkable  man- 
ner. Up  to  the  present  time  over  one  hundred  and 
thirty  have  professed  a  change  of  heart.  Last  night 
more  than  fifty  penitents  thronged  the  altar,  mostly 
young  men. 

The  tovm  and  country  round  throng  the  sanctu- 
ary. The  interest  is  increasing  every  meeting. 
Surely  God  has  a  special  work  for  these  two,  Brother 
and  Sister  Frame.  They  have  been  in  this  work, 
holding  two  meetings  each  day,  for  one  hundred  and 
fifty-three  days  consecutively,  during  which  time  in 
Xenia,  Jamestown,  Washington  Court  House,  Co- 
lumbus, Spring  Valley  and  Fairfield  they  have  wit- 


186  Fairfield,  Ohio. 

nessed  more  than  seven  hundred  conversions.  Last 
night  Sister  Frame  preached  one  of  her  most  ef- 
fectual sermons,  calling  upon  sinners  to  choose 
whom  they  would  serve. 

It's  a  day  of  glad  tidings  and  my  heart  shouts 
for  joy.    I  want  to  live. 

"That  purified  on  earth,  with  saints  forgiven 

My  ransomed  soul  may  share  the  joys  of  heaven." 

M.  P.  Gaddis,  Sen. 

Fairfield,  April  20th,  1876. 

**The  providential  mission  for  success  has  at 
last  come  to  Fairfield.  The  Evangelists,  Nathan  and 
Esther  Frame,  are  awakening  the  interests  of  the 
churches  with  a  live  revival.  There  seems  to  be  an 
almost  uncontrollable  desire  on  the  part  of  the 
church  members  in  stirring  up  the  people  in  this 
cold  region.  The  spirit  seems  to  pervade  the  minds 
of  all  present,  whether  church  members  or  not.  The 
people  have  come  to  a  very  happy  turn  of  mind, 
judging  from  the  expressions  that  may  be  heard  as 
one  mingles  with  the  crowd  leaving  the  church,  such 
as  *  Wasn't  it  splendid?'  *Did  you  ever  hear  such 
true  religion?'  *It  was  the  gospel,'  and  many  simi- 
lar expressions  from  the  people.  It  is  purely  jus- 
tice to  say  of  Mrs.  Frame :  She  has  a  combination 
of  all  the  best  elements  of  a  pulpit  orator.  She  is 
thoroughly  the  master  of  her  subject,  and  has  a 
clear,  penetrating  and  sonorous  voice,  and  is  heard 
by  everyone.  Her  sermons  are  excellent.  Standing 
at  the  head  of  the  altar  and  having  nothing  in  the 
way  of  notes,  and  without  anything  like  a  revival 
rant,  or  an  effort  to  produce  a  sensation,  only  by 
pure  eloquence  pushes  on  in  a  cause  of  reasoning 
which  so  clearly  applies  to  the  listener,  and  is  so  con- 


Cedarville,  Ohio,  187 

sistent  that  before  one  is  aware,  he  has  accepted,  and 
as  a  result  converts  are  multiplied. 

*'Mr.  Frame  lacks  not  for  ability  or  eloquence 
in  his  sermons.  His  ways  are  gentlemanly,  and  he 
is  esteemed  by  everyone.  Fairfield  has  not  had  such 
an  awakening  for  many  years.  Many  have  been 
gathered  in  from  the  dark  waters  that  all  thought 
would  be  cast  awsLj.^^— Fairfield  Press, 

Cedarville,  Greene  County,  Ohio, 

By  the  earnest  solicitation  of  the  people  and 
some  of  the  pastors  of  the  churches  of  Cedarville 
we  went  there  and  began  a  series  of  meetings  in  the 
M.  E.  Church,  April  30th,  1876,  Brother  Zink,  pas- 
tor. To  all  outward  appearances  it  was  a  very  un- 
favorable time  to  hold  a  series  of  meetings. 

Cedar\ille  is  a  village  of  eight  hundred  people, 
and  a  large  part  of  our  audience  would  come  from 
the  country.  The  farmers  would  be  busy  planting 
their  spring  crops.  Added  to  this  was  the  fact  that 
two  of  the  churches  in  the  town  were  a  United  Pres- 
byterian and  a  Scotch  Covenanter  church,  neither  of 
them  as  churches  favorable  to  Evangelistic  meet- 
ings. But  we  found  that  God  was  just  as  able  and 
willing  to  convert  souls  one  time  in  the  year  as  an/- 
other;  to  sweep  away  prejudices,  as  to  forgive  sins. 

The  multitude  came  together  day  after  day,  and 
night  after  night  for  nearly  three  weeks,  and  often 
one-half  hour  before  the  time  appointed  for  meet- 
ing the  house  would  be  so  densely  packed  that  no 
more  could  gain  admittance.  Those  who  sang  only 
psalms,  those  who  sang  hymns,  Methodists,  Presby- 
terians, Quakers,  Scotch  Covenanters,  and  those  not 
belonging  to  any  church,  all  sat  down  together  at  the 
table  of  the  Lord. 


188  Home  Again. 


Spring  Y alley,  Ohio. 

While  holding  meetings  at  Cedarville  we  were 
entertained  at  dear  Brother  and  Sister  Osborn's, 
and  no  father  and  mother  could  have  been  more  lov- 
ing and  tender  of  their  own  children  than  were  these 
dear  saints  of  God  to  us.  Precious  to  us  is  the  mem- 
ory of  the  saints  of  the  Lord.  Some  of  them  have 
already  passed  to  their  eternal  rest,  among  them 
dear  Brother  Dunlap.  Our  home  at  the  present 
time  is  near  this  little  village  of  Cedarville,  and  we 
often  pass  through  it,  and  though  fifteen  years  have 
passed  away,  many  of  those  connected  at  that  meet- 
ing are  still  rejoicing  in  Christ.  We  returned  from 
Cedarville  to  our  home  in  Spring  Valley,  Ohio,  hav- 
ing held  five  series  of  meetings,  of  four  weeks' 
duration  in  our  own  county,  and  as  many  at  other 
places  in  the  State  of  Ohio.  More  than  eight  hun- 
dred had  been  converted,  many  reclaimed,  and  the 
churches  cemented  together  in  love.  I  copy  a  little 
notice  of  our  return  from  the  pen  of  Brother  John 
H.  Hiatt,  a  Methodist  brother  who  lived  at  Spring 
Valley,  Ohio. 

Editor  Xenia  Torchlight: 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  after  a  long  and  success- 
ful work  for  the  Master  in  various  places,  have  re- 
turned home.  These  Evangelists,  who  work  under 
the  direction  of  the  Heavenly  Spirit,  have  brought 
joy  and  salvation  to  hundreds  of  hearts  and  homes. 
Christian  workers  rejoice  that  these  Evangelists 
have  made  their  homes  in  this,  our  humble  village, 
and  always  eagerly  welcome  them  on  their  return, 
who  so  anxiously  watch  and  work  for  the  good  of  all, 
infusing  new  life  and  vigor  into  the  cause  that  some- 
times seems  to  languish.  Jno.  Hiatt. 


Sdbina,  Ohio,  189 


Various  Meetings, 

It  was  in  the  middle  of  the  month  of  May  when 
we  returned  home,  and  we  did  not  hold  any  series 
of  meetings  until  in  August,  but  attended  some  of 
our  Friends'  meetings  that  occurred  in  the  regular 
order. 

On  August  4th  we  attended  a  camp  meeting  of 
the  Evangelical  Association,  at  BellviUe,  Kichland 
county,  Ohio;  we  also  spent  one  Sabbath  day  at 
London,  Madison  county,  Ohio,  where  we  had  such 
a  wonderful  meeting  in  1875. 

On  September  11th,  1876,  we  attended  the  Iowa 
yearly  meeting,  held  near  Oskaloosa,  Iowa.  From 
there  came  home  and  in  a  day  or  two  went  to  our 
own  yearly  meeting,  held  at  Richmond,  Indiana,  and 
from  there  returned  and  spent  the  month  of  October 
at  home  with  our  dear  children.  It  seemed  sweet  to 
be  at  home  a  little  time  and  rest,  if  that  rest  did  con- 
sist of  work  with  our  hands  from  morning  until 
night. 

Sabina,  Clinton  County,  Ohio,  November  22d,  1876, 

"November  comes  with  his  cold  chilHng  blasts, 
Which  tell  that  the  snows  of  the  winter  are  near ; 
The  loud,  roaring  winds  go  hurrying  apast, 
Disturbing  the  leaves  all  withered  and  sear, 
And  chanting  their  dirge  o'er  Autumn's  low  bier. 

But  the  storms  of  adversity  that  sweep  o'er  the  soul, 
Like  November's  bleak  winds  not  always  shall  last, 
Yet  the  God  of  the  storm  w^ill  the  tempest  control 
'Til  our  anchor  in  the  broad  bay  of  heaven  is  cast, 
Where  billows  no  longer  shall  roll." 

— Anonymous. 

There  are  three  churches  in  Sabina— Episcopal 
Methodist,  Protestant  Methodist  and  Campbellite.   A 


190  Remarkable  Conversions. 

Friends'  Church  has  been  organized  and  a  good 
meeting  house  built.  This  was  the  result  of  the 
meetings  we  held  there. 

"We  held  our  meetings  in  the  Methodist  Protes- 
tant house.  Our  meetings  continued  from  the  22d 
of  November  until  the  19th  of  December,  meetings 
small  in  attendance  for  the  first  day  or  two,  but  soon 
not  one-half  of  those  who  desired  to  attend  could  be 
accommodated.  Many  of  the  principal  citizens  of 
the  town  and  country  around  were  converted. 
Among  the  number:  Isaac  Roberts,  Dr.  Gaskins, 
Mrs.  Curtis,  Henry  Thorp,  Dr.  and  Ida  Lightner, 
and  many  more  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  who 
are  still  the  most  prominent  Christians  in  Sabina. 
The  Lord's  saving  grace  was  marvelously  displayed 
in  the  congregation. 

One  evening  when  the  altar  was  crowded  with 
penitents  who  were  earnestly  seeking,  and  prayer 
was  being  made  unto  God  for  them,  among  the  peni- 
tents was  a  maiden  lady  who  had  a  sister  in  the  au- 
dience. They  were  both  consistent  members  of  the 
M.  E.  Church,  but  neither  of  them  claimed  to  have 
been  saved  or  bom  of  God.  They  had  been  seekers 
many  years,  but  now  on  this  memorable  night,  to 
them,  while  there  was  a  felt  sense  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
manifest  all  over  that  audience,  and  a  hush  and  sil- 
ence reigned,  save  the  low  sob  and  suppressed  plead- 
ing prayers  of  the  seekers, 

"As  quick  as  spark  from  smitten  steel, 
The  Lord  His  powers  did  reveal" 

to  the  sister  who  was  at  the  altar,  and  she  sweetly 
and  audibly  uttered  these  words,  *'The  Lord  has 
saved  me,"  and  those  who  were  looking  at  her,  say 
they  saw  a  luminous  light  overspreading  her  coun- 
tenance, like  the  sunlight,  when  it  suddenly  breaks 
through  a  lowering  cloud,  and  almost  at  the  same  in- 


Power  of  the  Spirit.  191 

stant  the  spirit  of  God  seemed  to  communicate  it  to 
her  sister,  who  was  sitting  in  a  distant  part  of  the 
house,  and  although  there  was  little  noise,  save  what 
the  penitents  made,  and  that  could  scarcely  be  heard, 
that  audience  was  swept  by  an  invisible  power,  and 
they  bowed  their  heads  before  that  unseen  presence ; 
all,  saint  and  sinner  realized  that  God  was  in  that 
audience,  and  the  place  was  made  for  the  time,  holy 
ground.  The  faces  of  the  two  sisters  shone  with  a 
holy  light,  that  beautified  and  glorified  them  as  noth- 
ing else  can  do  but  the  Holy  Spirit.  Not  a  soul  there 
but  felt  that  strange  thrilling  power,  that  at  times 
speaks  to  the  heart  and  mind,  and  goes  to  the  inner- 
most chambers  of  the  soul  and  says,  *'Be  still,  and 
know  that  I  am  God.'' 

We  shall  never  forget  that  night  in  the  old 
weather-beaten  meeting-house  at  the  little  village  of 
Sabina,  where  God's  holy  spirit  swayed  the  multitude 
as  the  wind  sways  the  forests  and  rocks  it  to  and  fro. 
The  next  day  the  people  walked  softly  along  the 
streets,  and  though  there  were  many  in  that  village 
who  were  in  the  habit  of  swearing,  many  said  they  did 
not  hear  an  oath  uttered  for  several  days. 

Ada  Lightner,  the  wife  of  Dr.  Lightner,  was  a 
prominent  character  in  the  community  and  despiser 
of  revivals  of  religion  and  used  her  influence  against 
them  whenever  she  had  an  opportunity.  Her  delight 
was  when  a  series  of  meetings  were  in  progress  to 
plan  balls  and  card  parties  to  attract  the  young  men 
and  women  away  from  the  meetings,  but  she  came  to 
our  meetings  out  of  curiosity  to  hear  a  woman 
preacher  and  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  arrested  her  and 
she  arose  for  prayer  and  was  soon  found  among  the 
seekers  of  Christ.  One  day  while  at  her  home,  in  her 
house  praying,  a  gentleman  came  to  her  door,  and  she 
went  to  answer  the  call,  and  as  her  face  was  bathed  in 


192         Br.  and  Ada  Lightner^s  Conversion, 

tears  he  said,  ^'Why,  Ada,  what  is  the  matter  with 
you?"  "Matter  enough,"  was  the  reply,  "I  am  a 
lost  sinner.  The  gentleman  not  being  a  Christian, 
excused  himself  and  was  soon  gone.  Ada  went  back 
to  her  room  to  pray,  and  was  soon  happily  converted. 

Dr.  Lightner,  Ada's  husband,  had  not  yet  made 
any  public  demonstration,  but  had  said  to  us  pri- 
vately that  if  there  was.  any  such  thing  as  change 
of  heart,  and  he  should  ever  receive  it,  he  would  be 
very  quiet  about  it;  there  was  no  use  in  making  so 
much  demonstration,  he  would  get  it  in  a  very  quiet 
manner. 

The  same  evening,  after  Ada  Lightner 's  conver- 
sion, when  she  heard  her  husband  come  to  the  door, 
she  did  not  know  just  how  to  meet  him.  The  enemy 
whispered,  "Don't  say  anything  to  him  about  it!" 
But  the  Spirit  of  God  said,  "Run  and  tell  him  quickly 
that  Jesus  can  save!"  And  she  obeyed  the  voice  of 
the  Spirit,  ran  out  and  told  him  that  Christ  had  saved 
her,  and  her  words  carried  conviction  home  to  his 
heart. 

In  the  evening,  after  their  return  from  meeting, 
Ada  said,  "Doctor,  now  we  must  have  family 
prayer,"  and  she  gave  him  the  Bible,  but  he  hesitated 
to  take  it  and  said,  "I  cannot,  I  cannot;"  but  after 
some  persuasion  he  consented  for  her  sake  to  read, 

Satina,  Ohio,  1876. 

and  on  opening  the  Book,  without  designing  to  make 
any  special  selection,  he  began  to  read,  and  he  had 
opened  to  this  scripture,  "What  must  I  do  to  be 
saved?"  He  said  afterward  it  seemed  to  him 
that  he  was  hedged  in  on  every  side,  but  he  deter- 
mined to  proceed,  so  he  continued  to  the  end  of  the 
chapter,  then  read  another,  and  still  another  chapter ; 
he  was  afraid  when  he  ceased  reading  she  would  ask 
him  to  pray.    And  so  she  did.    He  kneeled,  but  re- 


Two  Houses  Occupied,  193 

fused  to  pray.  '  *  Well, ' '  said  Ada, ' '  we  have  not  been 
in  the  habit  of  praying  much ;  let  the  children  repeat 
the  Lord's  Prayer  and  let  us  join  in  with  them." 
She  listened  to  know  if  the  Doctor  was  repeating  it, 
but  he  only  uttered  a  few  words,  and  when  the 
''Amen"  was  reached,  he  hastily  arose  and  went 
away. 

The  following  evening  when  the  invitation  was 
given  for  seekers.  Dr.  Lightner  sat  just  inside  the 
door.  His  wife  went  to  him  and  said  in  her  familiar 
way,  *'Come,  Pa,"  and  he  trembled  and  started  to  go 
forward,  but  so  great  was  his  conviction  that  he  was 
assisted  to  the  altar.  He  was  soon  wonderfully  con- 
verted, and  this  sedate  man  made  as  much  demonstra- 
tion as  any  of  the  others. 

On  Sabbath  the  multitudes  were  so  great  that 
they  filled  two  meeting  houses,  and  then  hundreds 
coidd  not  be  accommodated.  Esther  preached  and 
conducted  meeting  in  the  house  where  the  meetings 
had  been  held,  and  I  preached  in  the  other  one.  When 
we  called  for  seekers  many  came  forward  at  each 
meeting  and  a  large  number  were  converted. 

During  these  meetings,  one  night  when  the  house 
was  densely  crowded,  a  young  boy  of  sixteen  years  old 
came  staggering  down  the  aisle  to  the  place  of  prayeri 
His  clothes  were  old  and  ragged,  his  hands  and  face 
were  dirty,  his  hair  unkept,  and  when  he  reached 
the  altar  he  fell  on  his  knees  and  cried  aloud,  ''God 
be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner."  Esther  immediately 
started  toward  him,  and  a  woman  said  to  her,  "You 
would  not  go  to  him,  would  you?"  And  she  replied, 
"The  people  who  have  no  friends  are  just  those  to 
whom  I  want  to  go,"  and  she  added, 

"O !  how  pitiful  in  a  whole  city  full ; 

Friends  he  has  none. 
O!  the  rarity  of  Christian  charity 

Under  the  sun." 


194  Sdbina  Meetings  Close, 

He  was  soon  most  blessedly  saved,  and  when  he 
came  to  the  meeting  next  morning  his  person  was 
cleansed  and  his  hair  combed,  and  Esther  said  his  old 
garments  shone  like  silver.  When  he  prayed  and 
testified— such  eloquence.  God  had  found  the 
precious  jewel  and  washed  it,  and  before  the  meeting 
closed  the  church  that  he  joined  had  made  arrange- 
ments to  educate  him  for  the  ministry.  Who  among 
all  that  throng  would  have  chosen  him  for  a  minister  % 
But  God  saw  the  precious  jewel  and  made  him  a  spe- 
cial agent  to  be  His  messenger  to  preach  the  Gospel. 

Although  Friends  had  no  organized  meeting  at 
Sabina,  there  were  more  than  eighty  persons  gave 
their  names  to  become  members,  and  these  with  the 
few  Friends  who  resided  there,  were  organized  into  a 
meeting  and  soon  there  was  a  good  meeting-house 
built,  and  there  has  been  a  flourishing  Friends  meet- 
ing and  Sabbath  School  at  Sabina  ever  since. 

Middletown,  Ohio. 

On  January  23d,  commenced  meetings  at  Middle- 
town,  Ohio,  in  the  M.  E.  Church,  Brother  Sutherland, 
pastor.  This  was  to  be  a  union  meeting,  three 
churches  joining  in  it— Methodist  Episcopal,  Baptist 
and  Presbyterian. 

Middletown  is  a  prosperous  town  of  seven  or 
eight  thousand  inhabitants  on  the  Big  Miami  River, 
almost  midway  between  Dayton  and  Cincinnati,  and 
has  some  fine  paper  mills.  There  were  so  many  calls 
and  such  pressing  demands  for  meetings  that  we  did 
not  remain  long  at  Middletown— I  think  twelve  days 
was  all  the  time  we  spent— and  we  had  to  borrow  that 
from  other  appointments  that  were  already  made 
more  than  six  months  before. 

As  at  many  other  places,  there  could  be  no  house 
found  in  the  place  large  enough  to  accommodate  the 


Cincinnati,  Ohio.  195 

masses  of  people  who  desired  to  attend ;  they  thronged 
the  house  long  before  the  time  that  the  meeting  would 
begin,  and  that  from  the  first.  We  were  so  well 
known  to  the  reading  religious  public  through  ac- 
counts that  had  been  given  of  our  meetings  in  South- 
western Ohio  for  the  past  four  or  five  years  that  the 
people  came,  expecting  a  good  meeting,  and  they  were 
not  disappointed.  When  Jesus  of  Nazareth  passes 
by  the  people  throng  the  house  of  God. 

Cincinnati  McKendre  Church. 

As  our  next  engagement  for  a  series  of  meetings 
was  at  Circleville,  Ohio,  and  we  would  go  by  way  of 
Cincinnati  to  reach  there.  Brother  McHugh,  pastor 
of  the  McKendre  M.  E.  Church  pleaded  with  us  so 
earnestly  that  we  consented  to  remain  with  him  for  a 
few  days. 

The  spirit  of  revival  was  among  the  congrega- 
tion the  first  night  of  the  meeting,  and  more  than 
twenty  sinners  stood  up  in  the  congregation  for 
prayer. 

We  remained  at  Cincinnati  nine  days,  holding 
meetings  day  and  night  with  crowded  houses  and  hav- 
ing conversions  at  every  meeting.  But  our  promise 
was  out  for  another  place  and  the  people  there  had 
been  anxiously  looking  for  us  for  more  than  two 
weeks,  so  we  were  compelled  to  close  the  meeting  with 
scores  of  seekers  and  the  church  pleading  with  us  to 
remain. 

Circleville,  Ohio, 

We  arrived  at  Circleville  February  12th  and  at- 
tended our  first  meeting  the  same  evening  in  the  M.  E. 
Church,  Brother  Mitchell,  pastor.  Circleville  is  an 
old  town  and  surrounded  by  a  rich  grazing  and  agri- 


196  Gircleville,  Ohio. 

cultural  country.  They  have  fine  public  schools  and 
a  generous,  intelligent  and  enterprising  population. 
The  people  thronged  the  house  until  there  was  not 
standing  room,  and  hundreds  were  nightly  turned 
away.  There  was  much  scepticism  among  many  of 
the  townspeople  and  even  among  Christians  as  to  the 
success  of  the  meetings.  They  said  Quakers  and  the 
woman  might  be  an  attraction  in  the  beginning,  but 
when  the  novelty  passed  away  the  meetings  would 
cease.  Esther  remarked  in  one  of  her  sermons  soon 
after  our  meeting  commenced  that  she  expected  two 
hundred  souls  to  be  converted.  A  prominent  church 
member  told  her  after  the  meeting  she  did  not  know 
Circleville,  and  she  replied,  **Well,  I  may  not  know 
Circleville,  but  I  know  the  Lord;''  and  so  it  turned 
out,  for  at  the  end  of  twelve  days  there  had  been  one 
hundred  and  thirty-two  converted,  and  soon  the  num- 
ber was  over  two  hundred,  and  yet  the  limit  was  not 
reached;  the  work  seemed  to  be  only  commenced— 
hundreds  were  convicted. 

Brother  Mitchell  was  a  most  estimable  Christian, 
full  of  that  love  which  suffereth  long  and  is  kind. 
The  Presbyterian  minister  attended  the  meetings  and 
many  of  his  members.  One  of  his  prominent  lady 
members  came  forward  with  the  seekers  for  prayer 
and  her  pastor  said  to  her,  '^What  are  you  here  for? 
I  thought  you  was  one  of  the  best  Christians  in  my 
church."  "No,  I  was  not,"  was  the  reply.  ''While 
I  was  punctual  to  attend  the  meetings,  I  was  not  a 
Christian ;  I  was  a  card  player  and  drank  wine— I  am 
a  sinner."    But  she  was  soon  converted. 

Her  case  was  one  among  many  of  a  similar  char- 
acter. O!  for  a  converted  and  sanctified  church. 
The  Psalmist  David  said :  "  Restore  unto  me  the  j  oys 
of  thy  salvation,  then  shall  I  teach  transgressors  thy 
"way  and  sinners  shall  be  converted  unto  thee." 


The  Crippled  Child.  197 

This  minister  confessed  afterward  that  he  was  con- 
verted at  these  meetings. 

There  was  a  touching  little  incident  occurred  at  a 
children's  meeting  which  we  held  when  many  gave 
their  hearts  to  the  Lord  and  were  converted.  Among 
the  number  was  a  little  lame  boy  with  spinal  affec- 
tion. He  came  to  the  meeting  on  crutches  and  wanted 
to  come  forward  and  kneel  with  the  other  children, 
and  when  we  told  him  that  the  Lord  could  bless  him 
in  his  seat,  he  said  he  would  rather  go  to  the  altar  and 
kneel,  so  we  helped  him  to  the  place  of  prayer  and 
soon  the  little  cripple  was  happy  in  the  love  of  Christ. 

About  one  week  from  the  time  of  his  conversion 
he  was  taken  sick  and  soon  died,  but  sent  a  very  sweet 
message  to  us  sa5dng,  ^ '  O,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  I  am 
so  glad  you  had  that  children's  meeting.  If  you  had 
not  come  I  would  not  have  been  saved,  and  now  I  am 
going  to  die,  and  I  am  so  happy  I  am  ready;  I  am 
going  where  I  will  never  suffer  any  more." 

"I  think  when  I  hear  that  sweet  story  of  old, 

When  Jesus  was  here  among  men, 
And  took  Httle  children  like  lambs  to  His  fold 

I  should  love  to  have  been  with  Him  then." 

From  The  Register: 

THE  WOMAN  IN  BLACK. 
"The  Evangelists  at  Circleville." 

"J.  Scene  at  a  Railway  Station/^ 

"One  of  the  editors  of  The  Register  went  to  Cir- 
cleville  Saturday  and  on  returning  came  down  to  the 
same  train  which  brought  the  Quaker  evangelists, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  to  our  city.  There  is  no  Scioto 
Valley  Railway  station  at  Circleville,  but  they  have 


198  The  Woman  in  Black, 

constructed  a  switcliman's  house  at  tlie  crossing  to 
mark  the  site  where  the  depot  is  intended  to  stand. 

*^It  had  become  noised  around  that  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Frame  were  in  the  city  and  intended  that  evening  to 
take  a  train  for  Chillicothe.  Twenty  minutes  before 
the  train  arrived  the  girls,  grown  women,  men  and 
boys,  came  flocking  to  the  station  to  see  the  couple 
who  had  gained  such  a  hold  upon  their  affections,  to 
clasp  their  hands  again  and  bid  them  a  tender  good- 
bye. A  few  moments  before  the  train  arrived  the 
man  and  woman  who  were  the  objects  of  all  this  inter- 
est came. 

*'They  were  driven  to  the  depot  in  a  carriage, 
and  as  they  alighted  the  crowd  flocked  around  them, 
the  girls  clasped  the  hands  and  clung  around  the  neck 
of  the  pleasant  faced  woman,  dressed  in  black,  who 
smiled  upon  them  and  greeted  them  much  as  a  mother 
would  a  daughter  after  a  two  years*  absence.  Mr. 
Frame  was  warmly  spoken  to  by  the  gentleman  pres- 
ent. The  influence  that  these  evangelists  have  excited 
in  our  sister  city  of  Circleville  seems  somewhat  re- 
markable. Everybody  had  a  good  word  for  them. 
The  crowd  rapidly  increased  in  the  small  station  until 
it  became  unpleasant  to  remain  inside.  While  stand- 
ing on  the  platform  we  were  amused  at  the  sight  of  a 
ten-year-old  youngster  who,  emerging  from  the  inter- 
ior, half  suffocated,  ejaculated,  '^ Those  people  are 
awfully.    They  draw  too  full  a  house  for  me." 

*' As  the  train  rolled  up  to  the  station  and  the  peo- 
ple began  to  get  aboard,  the  excitement  increased— 
more  kissing,  hand-shaking  and  crying  followed. 

*'When  the  evangelists  were  seated  inside  they 
raised  the  window  and  the  assembled  multitude  gath- 
ered aroimd  and  then  sang  revival  hymns, 
while  stalwart  men  looked  around  and  mopped  their 
eyes  in  a  way  that  seemed  very  odd  to  one  who  had 


The  Womax  ix  Black. 


Grotvd  at  Depot.  199 

not  had  the  opportunity  of  listening  to  these  evangel- 
ists and  hearing  Mrs.  Frame's  eloquence. 

*'  *What  a  crowd,'  we  remarked  as  we  surveyed 
the  scene  from  the  car  window.  *  Crowd ! '  exclaimed  a 
two  hundred  hard  fisted  son  of  toil,  who  caught  the 
remark,  'why,  this  is  nothing;  people  did  not  know 
they  were  coming ;  if  the  news  had  been  more  gener- 
ally circulated  half  the  town  would  have  been  here,' 
and  as  the  train  whirled  us  through  the  country  at  the 
rate  of  thirty  miles  an  hour,  we  wondered  whether 
the  pleasant  faced  woman  in  black  would  upturn 
staid,  unexcitable  Chillicothe  as  she  had  our  sister 
city  of  the  valley.  We  shall  look  forward  to  the  com- 
ing meetings  to  be  held  at  Chillicothe  with  much 
interest." 


200  ChilUcothe,  Ohio, 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

ChillicotJie,  Ohio. 

March  28th,  1877,  we  commenced  at  Chillicothe, 
Ohio,  in  Walnut  Street  M.  E.  Church,  Brother  Hirst, 
pas  cor.  Chillicothe  is  an  old  place  and  one  of  consid- 
erable importance  commercially.  Situated  in  the 
beautiful  Scioto  Valley,  having  many  old  Virginia 
and  Pennsylvania  families  in  it  of  wealth. 

Chillicothe  was  the  first  capital  of  the  State  of 
Ohio. 

The  Walnut  Street  M.  E.  Church,  where  we  held 
our  meetings  was  considered  the  aristocratic  church 
of  the  place.  The  meetings  here  were  much  the  same 
in  attendance  and  results  as  they  had  been  all  through 
the  past  few  years  where  we  had  labored.  The  house 
was  filled  to  overflowing  from  the  first  meeting.  Peni- 
tents came  forward  immediately  and  were  converted. 
The  day  meetings  were  times  of  wonderful  refresh- 
ing from  the  presence  of  the  Lord. 

At  one  of  the  morning  meetings  I  noticed  quite 
an  elderly  and  intelligent  looking  gentleman  who  was 
much  affected  and  seemed  to  greatly  enjoy  the  meet- 
ing. At  the  close  of  the  service  he  came  to  me  and  in- 
troduced himself  to  me  as  Mr. ,  a  member  of  the 

M.  E.  Church,  who  lived  at  a  little  village  a  few  miles 
from  Chillicothe.  He  said  he  never  had  enjoyed  a 
meeting  so  much  in  his  life.  He  pleaded  with  me  that 
we  might  come  to  his  place,  if  it  was  only  to  hold  one 
meeting.  I  told  him  we  could  not  come  now.  Then 
he  inquired  where  we  lived,  how  long  we  had  been  in 
the  work  and  about  how  we  were  supported  and  if  we 
had  a  home ;  and  when  he  had  finished  and  I  had  ans- 
wered his  questions,  he  then  said:  "Well,  I  am  com- 
ing back  tomorrow ;  I  shall  attend  one  more  of  your 


Good  Resolutions  Only.  201 

meetings."  Then  facing  about  and  looking  away 
across  the  beautiful  Scioto  Valley,  and  pointing  in 
the  direction  where  he  gazed,  he  said:  ''I  am  an  old 
man ;  I  have  plentj^  of  this  world's  goods  and  my  chil- 
dren are  all  married  and  well  situated  and  have  a 
good  business.  I  own  one  hundred  acres  of  fine  land 
over  there  in  the  valley  and  I  feel  just  like  I  ought  to 
give  it  to  you.  I  believe  the  Lord  wants  me  to  do  it ; " 
and  the  old  man  seemed  much  affected,  then  repeated 
to  me  that  he  was  coming  back  tomorrow,  bade  me 
good  bye  while  the  tears  were  streaming  down  his 
face.  I  never  saw  him  again.  I  thought  when  he 
got  home  his  good  resolution  failed  him,  and  he 
thought  if  he  came  back  to  the  meetings  he  would  lose 
his  hundred  acre  tract  of  rich  Scioto  bottom  land. 
Perhaps  he  grew  sick  and  that  was  the  last  meeting 
he  ever  attended.  At  all  events  we  have  had  food  and 
clothing,  and  the  Lord  has  not  forsaken  us.  I  finish 
the  account  of  this  meeting  by  a  clipping  from  one  of 
the  Chillicothe  papers. 

Tlie  Revival  at  Walnut  Street, 

^*The  revival  ser\ices  at  the  Walnut  Street  M.  E. 
Church  are  still  in  progress.  The  greatest  difficulty 
that  seems  to  be  in  the  way  is  to  accommodate  the 
people  who  desire  to  attend  the  meetings.  Every 
place  is  crowded,  standing  room  is  at  a  premium, 
while  scores  of  persons  are  compelled  to  go  home  each 
night  unable  to  get  even  a  place  to  stand. 

*'Mrs.  Frame  has  lost  none  of  her  zeal  or  energy, 
but  preaches  with  great  power  and  acceptance.  The 
children's  meeting  last  Sabbath  afternoon  was  a 
great  success,  although  it  was  raining  very  hard  at 
the  time.  The  large  audience  room  was  filled  to.  its 
utmost  capacity.  Mr.  Frame  proved  himself  a 
marked  success  as  a  preacher  to  children.  His  illus- 
trations with  the  magnet  were  pleasing,  forcible  and 


202  Midnight  Serenade. 

practical.  The  boys  and  girls  will  not  soon  forget  the 
lessons  he  gave  them.  There  have  been  a  great  many 
conversions." 

HillshorOj  Ohio. 

The  night  before  we  left  Chillicothe  for  Hills- 
boro,  Ohio,  fifty  young  people  came,  brought  an  or- 
gan and  a  string  band  to  the  home  of  Brother  Scott, 
where  we  were  entertained,  and  at  midnight  gave  us  a 
grand  serenade ;  most  of  these  young  men  and  women 
had  been  converted  at  our  meetings.  This  sweet 
music  was  but  heaven's  benediction  kiss,  an  alabaster 
box  of  precious  ointment,  brought  to  us  in  their  last 
good  night.  We  arrived  at  Hillsboro  April  27th, 
1877. 

Hillsboro  has  a  very  fine  class  of  cultivated  citi- 
zens. There  is  a  female  college  here  and  there  are 
many  noble  educated  women  who  are  devoted  Chris- 
tians. 

This  meeting  was  to  be  a  union  meeting,  four 
churches  joining,  though  the  meeting  was  to  be  held 
in  the  Methodist  house,  they  having  the  largest  and 
most  convenient  room. 

It  was  an  unusual  time  of  the  year  to  commence 
a  protracted  meeting,  and  many  of  the  leading 
churches  thought  the  people  would  not  attend. 

It  was  the  time  of  year  housekeepers  usually 
renovated  their  houses  for  the  summer  and  many  of 
them  were  already  engaged  in  it.  Court  was  in  ses- 
sion at  the  Court  House  and  they  said  that  would  take 
the  lawyers  away  and  many  others.  And  the  farmers, 
many  of  them,  had  commenced  their  spring  work ;  but 
we  told  the  people  that  the  Lord  had  sent  us  there  and 
that  He  intended  to  do  a  great  work  and  we  expected 
blessed  results  in  his  name. 

We  had  been  engaged  continually  in  series  of 
meetings  since  November  22d,  1876,  and  we  were  both 


God's  Time.  208 

very  weary.  The  continued  strain  in  so  many  meet- 
ings on  Esther  had  been  very  great,  but  we  felt  we 
must  hold  this  series  of  meetings. 

And  though  all  the  outward  conditions  that  I 
have  mentioned  seemed  unfavorable,  the  people  came 
and  crowded  the  large  audience  room  from  the  very 
commencement  of  the  meetings. 

Though  some  came  through  a  desire  to  see  the 
Quakers  and  hear  the  woman  preacher,  that  was  not 
what  brought  the  masses ;  the  Lord  was  moving  on  the 
hearts  and  minds  of  the  people  and  their  hearts  were 
ready  to  embrace  the  truth.  It  is  certainly  true  that 
sinners  may  come  to  Christ  at  any  time  and  be  saved, 
and  that  God  is  not  far  from  every  one  if  they  will 
feel  after  Him  and  find  Him,  but  there  are  times  and 
seasons  that  are  not  at  our  command,  times  that  are 
especially  favorable,  times  when  the  Spirit  of  God 
moves  powerfully,  and  operates  upon  human  hearts, 
and  upon  communities  more  than  at  other  times. 
These  occasions  seem  to  be  crisis  periods  in  the  lives 
of  individuals  and  in  the  history  of  nations  and  com- 
munities.  The  earth  yields  her  fruits  after  an  ordi- 
nary manner  every  year,  yet  there  are  seasons  when 
she  seems  to  put  forth  an  extraordinary  effort,  and 
the  result  i^abiindant  crops^ then  there  are  times  when 
the  rains  are  withheld,  when  the  frosts  kill,  when 
storms  destroy,  "pestilence  walks  in  darkness  and 
destruction  wastes  at  noonday."  We  know  there  are 
imderlying  causes  for  all  these  things,  and  while  the 
children  of  God  are  to  pray  always  and  without  ceas- 
ing and  be  instant  in  season  and  out  of  season,  we 
do  knoiv  that  there  is  a  "tide  in  the  affairs  of  men 
which  if  taken  at  the  flood  leads  on  to  fortune,"  and 
this  was  just  the  time  for  a  glorious  revival  in  Hills- 
boro. 


204  Fashionable  Woman  Saved. 

Wliile  there  were  hundreds  converted  at  this 
meeting,  there  were  some  very  remarkable  cases  in 
connection  with  the  work. 

One,  a  young  married  woman  of  much  wealth,  the 
wife  of  a  banker  who  lived  just  across  the  street  from 
the  meeting-house,  came  to  the  meetings.  She  had 
been  principal  of  a  female  seminary  in  the  South, 
came  North  and  married  a  wealthy  banker's  only  son. 
She  was  a  society  woman,  and  very  proud  and  aris- 
tocratic, and  dancing,  card  parties  and  theatres  were 
her  delight. 

She  came  to  the  meetings  and  was  deeply  con- 
victed, and  at  the  close  of  one  of  the  large  morning 
meetings,  she  came  forward  and  threw  herself  in 
Esther's  arms,  and  exclaimed,  "O !  Mrs.  Frame,  pray 
for  me,  I  am  such  a  sinner. ' '  Then  again  at  the  night 
meeting  when  the  house  was  densely  packed,  galleries 
and  all,  and  the  aisles  were  filled,  she  made  her  way 
through  the  throng  to  the  altar,  when  the  call  for 
penitents  had  been  given,  and  cried  out,  *'Let  me  get 
down !  O !  let  me  get  down ! ' '  and  she  was  not  satisfied 
just  to  kneel,  at  the  bench,  but  prostrated  herself 
lower  than  the  rest,  and  called  out  aloud,  *'God  be 
merciful  to  me,  a  sinner!" 

The  Lord  graciously  answered  her  humble  peti- 
tion, and  she  arose  and  declared  what  great  things 
the  Saviour  had  done  for  her.  Soon  her  husband 
came,  and  was  converted,  and  their  large  parlors,  that 
they  were  keeping  for  card  parties,  and  dancing 
places,  were  dedicated  for  the  service  of  God,  and 
places  of  praj^er. 

Judge  Thomson,  one  of  the  leading  Lawyers, 
came  to  the  meetings  with  his  wife,  who  was  a  devoted 
Christian,  though  he  professed  to  be  an  infidel.  But 
when   he    saw    Methodist,    Baptist,    Episcopalians, 


Judge  Thompson  Converted.  205 

Presbyterians,  and  all  denominations  working  with 
such  love  and  harmony  together,  all  for  the  same  pur- 
pose, he  said  to  his  Avife  one  night  after  returning 
from  meeting,  ''Mother,  noiv  I  believe  in  Christianity 
and  I  want  you  to  pray  for  me, "  and  he  knelt  down  in 
his  room  beside  his  bed,  and  while  his  wife  prayed 
for  him,  he  was  converted.  Mrs.  Thomson  was  the 
mother  of  the  wonderful  movement  of  "Tho 
Women's  Crusade  against  intoxicating  drinks." 

Another  remarkable  feature  of  these  meetings 
was  the  part  the  Episcopalians  took  in  them  as  a 
church.  The  Episcopalian  Minister  came  as  often  as 
he  could  himself,  and  urged  all  his  members  to  at- 
tend; his  son  was  converted  at  the  seekers'  bench. 

When  the  meetings  concluded  we  sent  sixteen 
names  to  him  as  applicants  for  membership  in  his 
church.  We  received  names  for  all  the  Protestant 
Churches  in  Hillsboro. 

There  were  more  than  sixty  young  men  converted 
at  these  meetings,  and  most  of  the  young  women  who 
were  attending  the  Female  Seminaries.  The  meet- 
ings continued  with  increasing  interest  each  day— 
from  the  time  of  their  commencement  until  the  con- 
clusion. Often  the  main  audience  room  was  full  by 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  waited  until  six 
o'clock  for  meeting  to  commence,  for  we  began  at  this 
time  of  day. 

On  the  night  of  the  10th  of  May,  when  the  house 
was  packed  to  its  utmost  capacity,  and  all  the  aisles 
were  filled,  and  people  stood  around  the  walls  and 
filled  the  vestibule,  Esther  was  preaching,  and  in 
the  midst  of  her  discourse,  she  was  stricken  with 
paralysis  and  fell  to  the  floor. 

I  sprang  to  her  side  and  requested  the  audience 
to  remain  quiet,  which  they  did.  Below  I  copy  a  re- 
port of  the  meetings,  with  an  account  of  this  remark- 


206  A  Great  Meeting. 

able  occurrence  as  given  by  one  of  the  principal  law- 
yers of  Hillsboro  at  the  time. 

Mr,  and  Mrs.  Frame,  the  Evangelists. 

Me.  Editor:— Within  the  three  weeks  just  past 
we  have  had  in  this  community,  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable revivals  of  religion  that  has  ever  occurred 
in  this  place.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  the  noted  Quaker 
evangelists,  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  a  number  of 
the  good  people  of  Hillsboro,  visited  us  and  com- 
menced a  series  of  meetings  in  the  M.  E.  Church, 
Monday,  the  22nd  of  April,  1877,  which  lasted  until 
Thursday  evening.  May  10th,  when  so  far  as  the 
Evangelists  were  concerned,  the  meeting  closed  in  the 
midst  of  an  awful  solemn  and  impressive  scene. 

It  was  plain  from  the  very  beginning  that  more 
than  ordinary  Divine  power  might  be  expected.  In 
many  instances  doubtless  the  good  seed  had  been 
sown,  in  the  faithful  labors  of  the  resident  ministers, 
and  in  due  time  the  watering  came,  and  behold  the 
increase  in  the  glorious  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
imder  the  preaching  and  labors  of  these  devoted  and 
faithful  workers,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame.  While  they 
preached  the  word  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and 
with  power,  God's  people  prayed,  and  waited,  and 
trusted ;  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  made  mani- 
fest, in  the  most  glorious  and  wonderful  manner,  in 
the  conviction  and  conversion  of  sinners,  the  reclaim- 
ing of  backsliders,  and  bringing  many  believers  to 
realize  a  deeper  and  far  richer  experience  than  ever 
before.  The  accession  to  the  churches  numbered  two 
hundred,  and  the  conversions  were  more,  including 
many  active  and  earnest  young  men,  who  for  the  first 
time  have  taken  this  most  important  step,  who  if 
faithful  under  God  will  make  a  power  in  the  church 
to  be  felt  for  good  in  the  years  to  come.    But  there  is 


Esther  Stricken  With  Paralysis,  207 

another  good  that  came  from  the  meeting,  and  is  not 
to  be  overlooked. 

It  was  the  bringing  together  in  Christian  fellow- 
ship, and  labors  of  the  earnest  and  active  workers  of 
the  different  denominations  in  united  effort  to  ad- 
vance the  interest  of  Christ's  kingdom.  Here  were 
Presbjrfcerians,  Baptists,  Episcopalians  and  Metho- 
dists led  by  Quaker  Evangelists,  forgetting  all  dif- 
ferences of  opinion,  or  creed,  and  working  harmon- 
iously, and  lovingly  for  the  Master. 

Mr.  Frame  preached  with  great  acceptability, 
and  power  in  our  midst  and  it  cannot  be  denied  that 
Mrs.  Frame  was  a  marvelous  attraction  in  our  com- 
munity, and  this  is  not  to  be  attributed  to  the  desire 
to  have  a  woman  preach,  but  to  the  fame  that  pre- 
ceded her  here.  She  at  once,  and  forever,  broke  down 
the  prejudice  that  existed  in  the  minds  of  some  of 
our  people  on  the  subject  of  a  woman  preaching,  as 
her  wonderful  power  in  preaching  won  all  hearts,  so 
that  all  curiosity  was  banished  and  they  now  came 
with  a  desire  to  hear  and  know  the  truth  now 
preached  in  a  way,  and  with  a  majestic  power  to 
which  many  were  total  strangers,  and  God  made  use 
of  this  instnunentality  to  show  forth  in  a  wonderful 
degree  His  power  to  save  sinful  men.  Mrs.  Frame 
is  very  much  more  than  an  ordinary  woman.  She 
is  greatly  gifted  by  nature,  and  better  than  all,  she 
is  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  is  in  consequence 
possessed  of  a  power  and  communion  with  God.  Her 
speech  too,  and  pleading  with  sinners  to  come  to 
Christ  was  next  to  irresistible. 

But  the  closing  scene  was  thrilling  to  the  last  de- 
gree, and  simply  indiscribable.  Stricken  down  in  an 
instant,  in  the  midst  of  a  sentence,  while  relating  an 
incident  intended  to  be  used  in  illustrating  and  en- 
forcing her  subject^  something  so  successfully  accom- 


208  Meetings  at  Hillshoro  Close, 

plished  again  and  again,  and  everyone  almost  in  the 
vast  audience  listening  eagerly  for  every  word,  cried 
out  in  the  anguish  of  their  souls  at  the  thought,  that 
the  pride  of  their  hearts  had  so  suddenly  in  a  moment 
been  stricken  with  death.  It  was  a  scene  never  to  be 
forgotten,  and  it  has  left  a  lasting  impression  on  the 
community. 

The  good  results  of  the  labors  of  these  dear  peo- 
ple, Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  can  only  be  fully  known  in 
the  light  of  eternity. 

God  grant  that  the  young  men,  and  all  others 
brought  to  Christ  through  their  instrumentality,  may 
become  bright  and  shining  lights  in  the  world,  and 
at  last  enjoy  the  blessed  inheritance  of  the  saints  in 
glory.  My  prayer  is  that  Mrs.  Frame  may  very  soon 
be  restored  to  health,  and  be  the  instrument  of  win- 
ning many  souls  for  her  Master. 

M.  W.  M. 

HiUsboro,  0.,  May  16th,  1877. 

Thus  our  meetings  here  were  brought  to  a  sud- 
den close.  Since  November  22nd,  we  had  held  seven 
series  of  meetings,  and  had  seen  more  than  a  thou- 
sand souls  converted  to  God.  The  night  Esther  was 
stricken  down,  after  she  had  recovered  a  little,  four 
men  carried  her  on  a  bed  to  our  dear  Friends,  Mr. 
Pickerings,  a  little  distance  from  the  meeting  house, 
where  we  kept  her  quiet,  and  in  a  secluded  room  for 
a  day  or  two,  while  she  hovered  between  two  worlds, 
but  at  the  end  of  that  time,  in  answer  to  prayer  and 
with  good  nursing,  the  life  forces  began  to  assert 
themselves  and  it  was  evident  she  was  better. 

We  Return  Home. 

I  wrote  to  our  children  to  meet  us  at  New  Vienna, 
Ohio,  as  we  thought  best  to  take  Esther  home  by  pri- 
vate conveyance.    The  friends  at  Hillsboro  furnished 


At  Home.  209 

us  with  a  carriage,  and  we  took  cotton  comforters 
and  pillows  and  made  her  as  comfortable  as  we  could, 
so  that  she  could  lie  down.  We  drove  nine  miles 
through  the  country  to  New  Vienna,  Ohio,  and  stop- 
ped at  our  dear  Friends,  Isaac  and  Mary  Jane  Lewis, 
and  there  met  our  children.  Here  we  remained  a 
week,  and  then  went  home  to  Spring  Valley. 

Esther  says,  when  she  was  stricken  with  paraly- 
sis:  * '  The  room  was  filled  with  the  glory  of  the  Lord, 
and  there  was  a  light  brighter  than  the  midday  sun, 
and  the  faces  of  those  around  me  looked  like  burn- 
ished gold,  and  appeared  more  beautiful  than  any 
faces  I  had  ever  beheld,  and  I  bathed  in  a  sea  of  liquid 
light,  and  wave  after  wave  came  over  me,  and  I  was 
in  a  sea  of  the  Saviour's  love,  and  he  appeared  to  me. 
I  bowed  my  head  for  my  crown,  and  reached  my  hand 
for  my  harp." 

*'But  the  Saviour  said :  *Not  now,  my  child,  thy 
family  and  souls  call  thee  back.'  I  felt  like  one  dis- 
appointed, the  world  and  everything  in  it  looked  dim 
to  me,  and  worthless.  Even  the  grass  and  trees 
looked  tired  as  I  passed  along  the  road. 

Stricken  With  Paralysis. 

''But  O!  my  soul  was  basking  in  a  sea  of  glory, 
and  I  was  filled  with  ecstatic  joy.  The  light  of  the 
sun  seemed  dim  in  comparison  with  the  light  that 
shone  around  me,  and  for  weeks  I  lived  in  this  sea  of 
glory.  I  had  began  to  enter  the  paradise  of  God ;  and 
I  beheld  something  of  the  heavenly  country  where 
they  need  no  light  of  the  sun,  for  the  Lord  God  giveth 
them  light." 

We  spent  most  of  the  summer  months  at  home ; 
attended  the  regular  meeting  at  Spring  Valley  and 
visited  occasionally  some  nearby  Friends'  meetings. 


210  Springfield,  Ohio. 

Esther  was  much  worn  with  the  continued  work  of 
holding  so  many  meetings,  so  recovered  slowly.  We 
did  not  engage  in  any  series  of  meetings  until  after 
our  yearly  meeting,  in  September. 

Springfield,  Ohio. 

October  29th,  we  went  to  High  Street  M.  E. 
Church,  Springfield,  Ohio,  to  hold  some  meetings 
with  Brother  Mitchell.  Esther  was  still  far  from 
having  recovered  from  her  sickness  at  Hillsboro.  We 
had  held  but  a  few  meetings  here  when  Esther  was 
again  stricken  with  paralysis,  and  while  preaching 
lost  the  power  of  memory,  and  we  immediately  re- 
moved her  to  our  room.  She  was  recovered  suffici- 
ently in  the  morning  to  be  taken  home. 

Maple  Corner. 

Esther  was  much  prostrated,  and  could  eat  but  little 
and  remained  in  her  room  much  of  the  time  after  we 
had  been  at  home.  In  about  ten  days,  a  young  Ger- 
man Reform  minister,  who  had  charge  of  a  meeting 
six  or  seven  miles  east  from  Spring  Valley,  came  to 
ask  us  to  hold  a  series  of  meetings  at  their  meeting- 
house. There  were  many  intelligent  and  educated 
people  in  his  church  and  in  the  community,  and  he 
said  most  of  them  were  imsaved,  and  assured  us  that 
there  was  not  another  meeting  in  the  county  where  a 
revival  was  needed  as  much  as  at  his  charge,  and 
though  Esther  was  so  ill,  and  we  had  not  anticipated 
holding  any  meetings  for  quite  a  time,  we  at  last  told 
him  we  would  think  and  pray  over  it  and  give  him  an 
answer  in  a  couple  of  days. 

The  next  morning  after  this  talk  with  the  min- 
ister, Esther  said:    "I  think  we  better  go  to  Maple 


I 


Maple  Corner.  211 

Corner  and  commence  meetings;  the  Lord  lias  im- 
pressed me  I  shall  get  better  as  the  meetings  go  on." 

We  sent  word  to  brother  Smith  that  we  would 
come.  The  house  was  an  *  *  old  fashioned ' '  brick,  built 
fifty  years  ago  or  more,  and  the  German  reform  peo- 
ple had  worshiped  in  it  ever  since.  The  neighborhood 
had  increased  in  wealth  and  numbers— but  the  meet- 
ing was  small  in  attendance  usually— and  many  of 
the  middle  aged  with  large  families  were  uncon- 
verted. 

The  young  men  and  women,  though  members  of 
the  church,  were  most  of  them  unsaved.  There  was 
much  prejudice  against  revivals,  the  church  believed 
in  the  old  way  of  converting,  through  **The  Cate- 
chism, Confirmation  and  Baptism." 

But  their  minister  was  very  anxious  that  they 
know  that  they  were  born  of  God.  Bom  of  the  spirit. 
The  church  loved  their  yoimg  pastor,  and  came  to  the 
meetings  in  mass.  There  was  a  real  hungering  for 
righteousness. 

The  congregations  were  large  from  the  first,  and 
it  seemed  that  the  Lord  had  anointed  us  anew  to 
preach  the  gospel.  Esther  preached  with  more  than 
her  usual  power  and  clearness,  her  mental  being  il- 
luminated and  she  was  able  to  bring  out  of  the  store- 
house of  God's  truth  things  new  and  old,  just  suited 
to  his  people.  While  Esther  was  preaching  in  one  of 
the  day  meetings  a  German  Lutheran  who  was  much 
prejudiced  against  the  meetings,  was  converted,  and 
shouted  aloud  for  joy,  and  declared  what  great  things 
the  Lord  had  done  for  him,  saying  I  was  prejudiced 
against  this  way,  but  the  Lord  has  opened  my  eyes 
and  I  am  converted  and  so  ecstatically  happy  was 
this  man  that  after  this  day  meeting  had  concluded 
and  he  had  gone  around  and  told  his  friends  person- 
ally, he  started  for  his  home  more  than  a  half  mile 


212  Meetings  of  Great  Interest. 

distant,  and  shouted  aloud  all  the  way  home  and  thus 
astonished,  and  amazed  his  wife,  who  was  not  at  the 
meeting.  The  meetings  now  became  of  wide  spread 
interest  throughout  the  county  and  towns.  People 
came  from  Spring  Valley,  New  Burlington,  Xenia, 
the  county  town  eight  miles  distant,  and  the  throng 
was  so  great  many  were  turned  away  for  want  of 
room.  Many  of  the  members  of  the  church  were  con- 
verted. 

Quite  a  wealthy  man  in  the  community  came  to 
the  altar  one  night  and  brought  his  whole  family.  He 
was  under  such  conviction  that  he  paid  no  attention 
to  anyone  around  him,  but  with  strong  crying  and 
tears  besought  God  to  have  mercy  upon  him,  and  the 
long  bench  clear  across  the  house  was  filled  with  peni- 
tents, who  many  of  them  prayed  vocally.  There  were 
something  like  seventy  heads  of  families  converted 
at  these  meetings  and  the  whole  neighborhood  was 
almost  completely  revolutionized.  The  last  Sabbath 
of  the  meeting  was  a  great  meeting,  the  house  was 
filled  to  repletion  at  an  early  hour  as  we  met  for  a 
conference  and  praise  meeting,  and  the  house  was 
vocal  with  the  praises  of  the  new  converts  and  re- 
joicings of  the  old  saints,  and  by  the  time  for  the 
eleven  o'clock  meeting  there  were  as  many  people 
outside  of  the  house  who  could  not  gain  admittance  as 
there  were  inside,  it  being  a  beautiful  day  the  people 
crowded  up  to  the  windows  that  were  open.  The  Lord 
God  omnipotent  reigned. 

We  were  no  longer  in  doubt  as  to  our  coming, 
for  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord  that  came  to 
Esther  at  Spring  Valley,  she  had  continued  to  im- 
prove in  health  all  the  time,  the  Lord  had  fulfilled 
his  promise. 

*' There  were  a  good  many  Calvinists  in  the  com- 
munity who  said  when  the  Lord  wanted  them  he 


Unseen  Dangers,  213 

would  come  after  them."  We  told  them  he  did  want 
them  and  that  was  the  reason  he  had  come  after  them 
and  he  had  invited  all  to  come  unto  him  and  be  saved, 
for  he  had  ordained  that  they  should  be  conformed  to 
the  image  of  his  Son  when  they  did  come,  but  that 
God  had  not  decreed  any  certain  number  should  be 
saved  or  lost,  but  liad  decreed  that  all  might  come, 
and  had  further  decreed  that  all  who  did  come  should 
be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his  Son. 

Sabbath  night,  following  the  Sabbath  meeting 
that  we  have  mentioned,  was  the  last  of  the  series  at 
Maple  Corner.  We  had  met  this  night  to  meet  no 
more  until  the  great  and  notable  day  of  the  coming 
of  the  Lord. 

We  had  met  to  sing  the  liord's  praises;  we  had 
met  to  deliver  one  more  earnest  message,  to  the  im- 
penitent, and  implore  them  to  flee  from  the  place  of 
torment ;  we  had  met  to  say  to  our  fellow  Christians, 
God  be  with  you  till  we  meet  again. 

This  night,  if  it  could  be,  the  house  was  more 
densely  packed  than  ever  before,  outside  and  inside, 
in  the  midst  of  the  meeting,  there  was  a  jar  and  sound 
as  of  the  house  giving  way  and  the  floor  began  to  sink, 
people  sprang  from  their  seats  and  began  to  rush  for 
the  door;  one  man,  eighty  years  old,  jumped  out  of 
the  window.  Esther  then  called  to  the  people,  and 
told  them  to  be  quiet,  that  the  Lord  would  not  suffer 
anything  to  harm  us,  and  the  tumult  ceased,  and  the 
meeting  continued  calmly  until  time  to  conclude. 
Hundreds  had  been  blessed  at  these  meetings,  a  fresh 
impetus  had  been  given  to  the  church  and  Christian 
work,  and  the  after  result  was  that  a  new  meeting- 
house was  built  the  next  year  and  there  has  been  a 
flourishing  meeting  and  Sabbath  School  ever  since. 

The  next  morning  after  the  night  meeting,  an 
examination  of  the  old  meeting-house  showed  that 


214  The  Lord  Our  Refuge, 

one  of  the  sills  of  the  house  had  rotted  and  had  been 
crushed  from  the  weight  of  the  mass  of  people,  and 
had  Esther  not  calmed  the  fears  of  the  crowd,  by  the 
assurance  that  the  Lord  would  not  let  any  of  them 
be  hurt,  a  great  calamity  no  doubt  would  have  hap- 
pened. 

The  Lord  did  shield,  the  Lord  is  our  refuge— in 
Him  will  we  put  our  trust.  Praise  ye  the  name  of 
*' The  Lord." 


(yQ^€p 


Muncie,  Indiana.  215 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Muncie,  Indiana. 

From  Maple  Corner  we  went  home  a  little  time, 
and  from  there  to  Greene  Plain,  Clark  Co.,  Ohio, 
where  we  held  a  series  of  meetings  with  the  Friends. 
This  was  a  good  meeting,  a  nmnber  of  the  Friends' 
children  were  converted,  who  are  now  grown  men  and 
women  and  most  earnest  Christian  workers.  We 
went  home  from  Greene  Plain  and  on  January  15th, 
1878,  went  from  Spring  Valley,  Ohio,  to  Mmicie,  In- 
diana, to  commence  series  of  meetings.  Missed  con- 
nection at  Winchester  and  took  dinner  with  our  dear 
friends,  Elkanah  and  Irena  Beard.  Had  our  first 
meeting  on  January  17th.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  in  June,  1869,  we  had  visited  Muncie  while  we 
resided  at  Richmond,  Indiana.  Muncie  is  where 
Esther  had  the  water  thrown  on  her  by  the  saloon 
keeper.  Since  that  time  there  had  been  a  small  meet- 
ing of  Friends  organized  and  they  held  their  meet- 
ings in  a  rented  hall.  This  hall  was  not  large  enough 
to  accommodate  the  people,  and  as  we  were  going  to 
hold  meetings  for  our  own  people,  there  was  no  meet- 
ing house  offered  us,  and  the  Friends  rented  a  large 
hall  situated  over  the  most  popular  saloon  in  the 
place,  the  same  room  where  Esther  had  the  water 
thrown  on  her  nine  years  before,  though  the  saloon 
was  not  kept  by  the  same  man.  The  man  who  owned 
the  saloon  also  owned  the  hall  where  our  meetings 
were  to  be  held.  He  told  one  of  the  citizens  that  he 
had  two  objects  in  renting  us  the  hall  to  hold  meet- 
ings in ;  one  was  what  the  hall  would  bring  him  and 
he  thought  many  people  who  would  attend  the  meet- 
ings would  patronize  his  saloon.  But  he  soon  found 
himself  mistaken,  many  of  his  old  customers  got  in- 


216  Meetings  Over  Saloon. 

terested  in  the  meetings  and  quit  his  saloon,  and  very- 
few  new  customers  came,  and  he  said  he  would  "never 
rent  his  hall  again  for  the  Frames  to  hold  meetings 
in/'  for  they  were  ruining  his  business.  The  meet- 
ings grew  to  such  proportions  that  the  large  hall 
above  the  saloon  would  not  hold  the  people,  though 
there  was  much  questioning  among  many  good  peo- 
ple as  to  the  propriety  of  holding  a  religious  meeting 
over  a  saloon,  but  the  more  the  subject  was  talked 
among  the  people,  the  more  they  came,  and  it  was 
evident  that  the  Lord  could  convert  souls  there  just 
as  well  as  he  could  in  a  meeting-house.  In  ten  days 
from  the  time  the  meetings  commenced  there  had 
been  fifty  converted  and  more  than  a  score  of  pen- 
itents were  coming  to  the  altar  nightly. 

After  the  meetings  had  become  a  marked  success 
and  the  best  people  in  the  town,  and  belonging  to  the 
churches  were  attending,  and  giving  their  hearty  sup- 
port to  them,  the  Methodist  minister  offered  us  their 
house.  But  we  felt  that  the  meetings  would  do  more 
good  for  the  people  and  that  we  could  have  more 
freedom  to  preach  a  whole  Gospel,  to  remain  at  the 
hall.  On  January  30th,  just  fifteen  days  from  the 
time  we  arrived,  there  had  been  over  one  hundred 
made  profession  of  saving  faith  in  Christ,  and  though 
the  altar  was  nightly  thronged  with  penitents,  we 
were  compelled  to  go  home  that  I  might  attend  to 
some  business  and  Esther  take  a  day  or  so  of  rest. 
The  meetings  were  continued  in  the  hall  by  some 
friends,  and  on  the  6th  of  February,  there  was  such  a 
great  interest  manifested  in  the  meetings  that  Joseph 
Goddard  telegraphed  us  that  we  must  come  back  a 
few  days.  We  went  back  and  on  the  8th  of  the  month 
there  was  thirty  forward  for  prayers  and  many  more 
converted.  A  large  number  joined  themselves  to 
Friends. 


I 


Churches  Anxious  For  Members,  217 

We  always  made  it  a  rule  when  we  held  union 
meetings,  at  the  conclusion,  to  give  an  opportunity 
for  those  who  had  been  converted  and  were  not  mem- 
bers of  any  church,  to  give  their  names  to  some 
church,  we  only  asking  them  two  questions,  "What  is 
your  name,  and  what  is  the  church  of  your  choice?" 
recording  their  names  and  the  name  of  the  denomina- 
tion and  then  forwarding  these  applicants  names  to 
the  pastors  or  proper  authorities  of  the  churches  to 
which  they  wished  to  belong,  the  churches  taking 
their  own  manner  of  receiving  them. 

And  although  we  were  opposed  by  some  minis- 
ters and  criticised  by  those  who  did  not  believe  in 
Evangelists,  and  by  others  who  did  not  believe  in 
ivomen  preaching,  and  by  those  who  ridiculed  Quak- 
ers we  always  found  these  pastors  and  churches  ready 
to  secure  a  long  list  of  applicants  for  membership 
among  them  and  especially  if  the  applicant  was 
especially  if  the  applicant  was  wealthy  and  a  respect- 
able person  in  the  community,  and  would  bring  some 
money  to  them,  and  some  honor  to  their  church. 

Methodists,  Presbyterians,  Lutherans,  Baptists, 
Episcopalians,  Campbellites  seemed  all  equally  anx- 
ious to  get  as  many  of  the  people  who  had  been  con- 
verted at  our  meetings  as  they  could.  They  did  not 
stop  to  ask  the  question  whether  they  had  been  con- 
verted by  a  woman  or  at  the  Evangelists  meeting.  We 
have  sent  hundreds,  and  I  might  say  thousands  of 
names  of  applicants  to  the  different  churches,  and 
now  after  a  lapse  of  fiifteen  years,  and  in  some  cases 
of  twenty  years,  many  of  these  are  the  substantial 
members  of  these  churches.  Some  of  them  are  emi- 
nent ministers  of  the  Gospel,  some  are  effective  mis- 
sionaries in  foreign  lands,  others  are  occupying  posi- 


218  Evangelists, 

tions  of  honor  and  trust  and  doing  a  grand  work  in 
the  business  world ;  some  are  lawyers,  and  among  our 
best  men  in  the  political  world ;  other  just  as  faithful 
Christians  are  occupying  more  humble  positions, 
while  a  large  number  of  them  have  already  passed  on 
to  join  the  great  company  that  have  washed  their 
robes  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb, 
where  we  shall  join  them  when  our  battles  are  all 
fought  and  our  work  is  finished.  The  day  meetings 
were  held  in  the  city  meeting-houses. 

Evangelists. 

Paul's  charge  to  Timothy  we  find  recorded  in 
2nd  Timothy,  4th  chapter  from  1st  to  6th  verses,  I 
charge  thee  therefore  in  the  sight  of  God  and  of 
Christ  Jesus,  who  shaU  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead, 
preach  the  word,  be  instant  in  season,  out  of  season ; 
reprove,  rebuke,  exhort,  with  all  longsuffering  and 
teaching.  For  the  time  will  come  when  they  will  not 
endure  sound  doctrine ;  but  having  itching  ears,  will 
heap  to  themselves  teachers  after  their  own  lusts,  and 
wiU  turn  away  their  ears  from  the  truth  and  turn 
aside  unto  fables. 

But  be  thou  sober  in  all  things,  suffer  hardship, 
do  the  work  of  an  Evangelist;  fulfill  the  Ministry. 
In  Acts  xxi.  and  8th  we  find  this  language:  **And 
the  next  day  we  that  were  of  Paul's  company  de- 
parted, and  came  to  Cesarea,  and  we  entered  into  the 
house  of  Philip,  the  Evangelist.'' 

Then  in  Ephesians  iv  and  11th,  it  is  stated,  *' And 
he  gave  some  Apostles  and  some  Prophets,  and  some 
Evangelists  and  some  Pastors,  and  teachers,"  and  the 
reason  assigned  for  these  gifts  in  verse  xii.  is,  "For 
the  perfecting  of  the  saints,  for  the  work  of  the  min- 
istry, for  the  edifying  of  the  body  of  Christ." 


Bihle  Evangelists,  219 

These  scriptures  are  sufficient  to  show  what  is  the 
New  Testament  idea  of  an  Evangelist.  The  gift  is 
one  conferred  by  the  Lord,  Jesus  Christ  Himself,  and 
includes  all  of  Paul's  charge  to  Timothy,  that  we 
have  quoted,  ^^ preach  the  word,  reprove,  teach,  ex- 
hort, and  do  it  with  all  long  suffering,  and  doctrine,'* 

We  have  here  a  picture  of  an  evangelist  widely 
different  from  the  modem  idea,  if  we  are  to  judge 
from  much  that  we  hear  said  with  regard  to  them. 

And  many  who  have  been  in  the  field  as  evan- 
gelists fall  far  below  the  Gospel  standard,  but  taken 
as  a  whole,  they  are  fully  up  to  the  measure  of  those 
who  are  called  ministers,  or  pastors  and  have  regular 
charge  of  congregations. 

There  are  as  great  a  number  of  pastors  of 
churches  who  are  unfit  for  their  work,  as  there  are 
among  those  who  are  called  evangelists,  and  perhaps 
more,  when  we  consider  numbers.  We  have  been  care- 
ful observers  of  the  work  of  Evangelists,  and  of  Pas- 
tors for  the  last  twenty  years  among  the  different 
churches,  and  while  there  are  many  pastors  who  care 
for  and  foster  the  work  done  by  the  faithful  evan- 
gelist, there  are  some  who  scatter  and  destroy,  and 
the  church  would  be  much  better  off  without  them. 
Such  churches  can  be  f  oimd  in  many  localities.  It  is 
a  false  idea  to  suppose  that  the  work  of  an  evangelist 
consists  in  mere  sensationalism;  creating  a  kind  of 
hurricane,  or  cyclone,  a  religious  fervor  of  feeling 
that  startles  and  awakens,  and  which  must,  or  will  die 
as  soon  as  the  evangelist  has  departed.  The  true 
evangelist  not  only  awakens  the  sinner  from  his  car- 
nal security,  but  brings  him  to  Christ  who  saves  and 
teaches  him  that  there  is  power  in  Christ  to  keep  him 
from  falling.  The  body  of  the  church  who  are  al- 
ready believers  are  more  indebted  to  the  true  evan- 
gelist for  establishment  in  the  faith  than  to  all  other 


220  God  Called  Evangelists. 

agencies.  The  very  nature  of  their  work  has  made 
them  acquainted  with  the  deep  things  of  God,  they 
have  not  only  declared  that  "The  world  lies  in  sin, 
and  wickedness,"  but  they  have  learned  to  ''lift  up 
their  voice  like  a  trumpet,  to  cry  aloud  and  spare  not, 
to  show  the  house  of  Israel  their  sins,  and  Jacob  his 
transgressions,  and  teach  many  an  ApoUos  the  way 
of  God  more  perfectly." 

The  mission  of  the  evangelist  is  as  much  to  per- 
fect the  church  as  it  is  to  awaken  the  sinful  and  lost 
and  bring  them  to  God;  it  is  as  much  to  settle  and 
ground  the  church  in  love  as  to  teach  the  first  prin- 
ciples of  the  doctrines  of  Christ.  The  true  evangelist 
is  one  who  has  not  onlj'-  "tarried  at  Jerusalem  until 
he  is  endued  with  power  from  on  high,"  but  in  con- 
nection with  this  enduement  of  power  from  on  high 
he  has  "studied  to  show  himself  a  workman,  approved 
unto  God,  rightly  dividing,  the  word  of  truth, ' '  giving 
to  saint  and  sinner,  their  portion  in  due  season,  feed- 
ing the  dahes  with  milk  and  the  strong  saints  with 
meat.  The  true  evangelist  has  learned  to  preach  a 
whole  Gospel ;  he  is  no  specialist  to  preach  one  par- 
ticular doctrine  at  the  expense  of  leaving  everything 
else  out. 

He  does  not  mistake  Geology  for  Theology,  nor 
Mythology  for  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  preaches  Christ, 
the  wisdom  of  God,  and  the  power  of  God— to  the 
Jews  a  stumbling  block  and  to  the  Greeks  foolishness. 

Logan,  Hocking  Co.,  Ohio. 

We  began  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  M.  E. 
Church  at  Logan,  Hocking  Co.,  Ohio,  February  22nd, 
1878,  and  continued  fifteen  days.  The  Spiritual  con- 
dition of  the  church  was  very  low.  They  had  an  un- 
godly choir— all  of  them  unconverted  except  the 
leader.    This  grieved  the  Godly  part  of  the  church 


The  Young  Infidel.  221 

very  much  and  the  Pastor  was  very  anxious  for  a 
revival. 

In  the  choir  was  a  young  man  who  professed  to 
be  an  infidel,  another  young  man  was  a  Roman  Catho- 
lic. When  the  meetings  had  been  in  session  a  few 
days  and  the  Lord  was  manifesting  Himself  in  great 
power,  a  woman  said  to  Esther:  "Mrs.  Frame,  I 
wish  you  would  speak  to  that  young  man,  he  is  an 
infidel,  though  he  is  a  moral  young  man."  Esther 
said,  '*0!  he  is  too  young  to  be  an  infidel.''  "But  I 
will  tell  you  Mrs.  Frame,  his  father  died  when  he  was 
five  years  old,  and  his  mother  was  poor  and  gave 
him  to  a  doctor,  who  was  wealthy,  who  adopted  him, 
but  the  doctor  was  an  infidel  and  educated  and  grad- 
uated him,  and  now  the  young  man  is  studying  to  be 
a  lawyer.  Esther  says:  "When  I  spoke  to  him  and 
asked  him  if  he  was  a  Christian,  he  said  'No,  Madam,' 
I  have  not  been  educated  as  you  have,  but  I  am  think- 
ing." The  next  night  I  went  to  him  again,  and  he 
said:  "Since  I  have  been  attending  these  meetings 
and  listening  to  the  sermons  and  Bible  readings,  I 
have  been  weighing  the  evidences  on  the  side  of  Chris- 
tianity, and  I  am  convinced  that  the  Bible  is  from 
God;  that  Jesus  Christ  is  divine;  that  there  is  a 
heaven  and  a  hell,  that  I  am  a  sinner  lost,  and  tomor- 
row night,  Madam,  I  will  decide  for  heaven  or  hell, 
for  I  believe  that  I  have  a  soul  to  be  saved." 

All  felt  that  it  was  a  crisis  in  the  young  man's 
life,  and  earnest  prayer  was  made  that  he  might  be 
saved.  When  the  invitation  for  seekers  was  given 
the  next  night,  he  came  and  knelt  among  the  penitents 
and  when  I  asked  him  to  pray  he  said:  "I  do  not 
know  how  to  pray ;  do  I  solve  this  like  I  solve  a  prop- 
osition in  Geometry."  I  told  him  no,  Jesus  Christ 
was  the  key  to  this  science,  "call  on  Him  and  He  will 
save  thee." 


222  The  Bible  Message, 

But  he  was  not  saved  that  night.  The  next  night 
when  the  house  was  densely  packed  he  stood  away 
back  by  the  door  and  when  the  invitation  for  seekers 
was  given,  he  started  to  make  his  way  out  of  the  house 
and  Esther  went  with  haste  down  the  aisle,  some  one 
arrested  him  on  the  stairway  and  she  said  to  him: 
"Where  art  thou  going  my  young  friend,"  and  he 
replied,  **I  am  going  to  my  office,  I  am  so  miserable, 
I  am  a  lost  sinner.''  Esther  said,  ** Praise  the  Lord ; 
and  the  reason  I  said  praise  the  Lord  is  thee  was  just 
as  much  lost  yesterday,  but  thee  did  not  know  it,  I  am 
so  glad  thee  has  found  it  out." 

She  then  invited  him  to  come  to  the  altar.  She 
said  I  will  not  leave  thee  until  thee  promises  me  thee 
will  go,  and  he  said:  "I  will  go  with  you."  Soon  he 
was  kneeling  at  the  chancel  rail,  and  weeping  and 
praying,  "God  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner." 

Esther  says:  "I  felt  this  was  a  peculiar  case," 
and  I  said,  "Lord  give  me  the  right  message,  and  my 
mind  was  directed  to  the  first  General  Epistle  of 
John,  1st  Chapter  and  9th  verse.  I  opened  my  Bible 
to  the  passage  and  said  to  him,  "My  young  friend, 
can  thee  read,"  and  he  wiped  away  his  tears  and  took 
hold  of  one  side  of  the  Bible  and  read  aloud  "If  we 
confess  our  sins  He  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive 
our  sins  and  cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness." 

The  young  man  took  the  Bible  out  of  my  hands 
and  read  the  passage  again,  "If  we  confess  our  sins. 
He  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to 
cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness." 

Then  he  sprang  to  his  feet  and  shouted  aloud, 
' '  Saved  by  the  blood  of  Jesus !  Saved  by  the  blood  of 
Jesus!" 

This  young  man  immediately  went  to  his  Roman 
Catholic  friend  in  the  choir  and  brought  him  to  the 
altar,  then  came  to  Esther  and  wanted  her  to  show 
him  the  scripture  she  had  read  to  him,  and  as  soon  as 


Meetings  at  Logan  Close,  223 

he  found  it,  he  took  the  Bible  to  the  young  Catholic 
and  read  it  to  him,  and  soon  he  was  converted  and  the 
two  began  to  shout  and  praise  the  Lord,  and  for  a 
time  we  gave  them  the  meeting-house. 

The  old  doctor  with  whom  the  young  man  lived, 
being  a  pronounced  infidel,  and  having  previously 
talked  much  against  the  Christian  religion,  it  was 
thought  that  he  might  persecute  the  young  man,  but 
instead  he  told  him  it  was  the  best  thing  he  ever  did, 
and  for  him  to  remain  true  to  Christianity. 

This  doctor  was  a  learned  and  an  intellectual 
man.  He  attended  all  the  meetings,  and  invited  his 
friends  to  attend,  and  if  they  failed  to  come,  he  would 
say  to  them,  you  ought  to  have  been  there,  you  missed 
a  great  treat. 

This  meeting,  though  it  continued  only  two 
weeks,  was  very  fruitful  in  its  results  for  good,  many 
were  converted  and  an  interest  created  in  the  church 
membership  and  they  were  cemented  together  in  love. 
We  close  with  a  little  notice  of  the  meetings  from  the 
Logan  papers: 

*'Mr,  and  Mrs.  Frame,  the  Evangelists.'* 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  preached  their  farewell 
sermon  last  Monday  afternoon,  and  departed  for 
Chillicothe,  where  they  will  spend  a  few  days,  on  their 
return  to  Spring  Valley,  Ohio,  then  go  to  Lexington, 
Kentucky.  They  were  accompanied  to  the  depot  by 
more  than  one  himdred  people,  who  were  slow  to  say 
good  bye.  Then  that  sweet  and  popular  hymn,  **The 
Sweet  By  and  By,"  was  beautifully  sung  by  the  com- 
pany who  had  come  down  with  them. 

When  they  w^ere  seated  on  the  train  the  accom- 
modating conductor  held  the  train  several  minutes 
to  listen  to  the  music.  The  thought  of  preparing  to 
live  Christian  lives  here,  and  be  ready  for  heaven 


224  Pastors  at  Muncie,  Indiana. 

hereafter,  was  never  so  thoroughly  awakened  in 
Logan.  Prayer  meetings  have  been  held  in  several 
stores  and  other  public  places,  and  the  revival  is  the 
topic  of  common  conversation.  More  than  fifty  have 
been  converted  and  quite  a  number  have  joined  the 
church  and  Salvation  has  come  to  Logan. 

On  April  15th,  1878,  we  held  some  meetings  in 
Richmond,  Indiana,  from  there  went  to  Carroll,  Ohio, 
to  a  Camp  Meeting.  August  25th  attended  a  Camp 
Meeting  at  Bellville,  Ohio.  July  4th,  1878,  we  left 
Spring  Valley,  Ohio,  where  we  had  lived  three  years. 
We  moved  to  Muncie,  Delaware  County,  Indiana. 
We  were  going  to  be  Pastors  of  Friends'  Meeting. 

The  meeting  was  held  in  what  had  been  a  busi- 
ness room  and  would  seat  about  three  hundred  people. 
This  room  was  always  filled  to  overflowing  on  Sab- 
bath and  Sabbath  night.  We  attended  the  meetings 
during  the  summer  and  autumn  regularly  on  Sabbath 
but  held  some  meetings  in  the  county  during  the 
week.  Here  follows  a  little  notice  from  a  Muncie 
paper  concerning  Friends  meeting : 

''New  Church." 

"The  Friends  are  making  preparations  to  erect  a 
new  church  building  for  their  large  congregations. 

Mtmcie,  Indiana,  1878. 

**The  room  now  used  is  entirely  too  small  to  ac- 
commodate the  people  who  desire  to  attend  the  meet- 
ings. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  who  now  have  charge  of 
the  church,  are  capable  of  doing  a  great  deal  of  good 
in  our  midst  if  they  have  the  opportunity.  They  are 
meeting  with  splendid  success,  and  the  members  feel 
they  must  have  better  accommodations. 

*'Let  there  be  a  hearty  response  from  all  who  are 
interested  in  the  prosperity  of  our  city." 


Attend  Some  Camp  Meetings.  226 

In  October  we  held  a  series  of  meetings  four 
miles  south  of  Muncie  in  Abraham  Tuttle's  neighbor- 
hood. Brother  Tuttle  was  a  friend,  and  though  he 
and  his  family  were  all  the  Friends  there,  he  was  full 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  had  faith  that  there  would  be 
a  Friends '  meeting  established  there. 

At  the  meetings  we  held  there  were  some  con- 
verted. Some  years  passed  away  before  Abraham 
Tuttle  saw  his  desire  fulfilled;  he  lived  to  see  a 
Friends'  meeting  and  a  Friends'  meeting-house  built. 
We  want  people  of  faith  and  persistent  work.  In 
the  latter  part  of  August  we  attended  by  in- 
vitation a  camp  meeting  of  the  Evangelical 
Association  at  Richland,  Ohio,  several  miles 
from  any  railway  and  in  a  great  wood.  There 
was  an  immense  concourse  of  people  in  attendance, 
and  many  ministers  at  this  camp  meeting,  and  the 
power  of  the  Lord  was  greatly  manifested,  and  hun- 
dreds professed  conversion.  One  night  when  the 
meeting  had  convened  and  was  in  progress,  and  more 
than  a  thousand  people  were  present,  and  the  plat- 
form was  filled  with  ministers  and  workers,  it  be- 
came evident  that  the  rain  and  thunder  storm  that 
had  been  threatening  for  the  last  hour  was  very  near 
the  camp,  and  many  of  the  people  were  becoming 
alarmed,  for  in  connection  with  the  thunder  and 
lightning  and  dark,  heavy  ominous  clouds,  we  could 
hear  the  roaring  of  the  wind  that  was  already  begin- 
ning to  move  the  tops  of  the  great  forest  trees  around 
us ;  and  while  we  were  bowed  in  prayer,  a  great,  lum- 
inous ball  of  fire  passed  directly  over  the  heads  of 
the  congregation  from  north  to  south,  and  but  a  few 
feet  above  the  heads  of  the  people,  followed  by  a 
startling  peal  of  thunder;  and  it  seemed  that  we 
might  be  crushed  by  the  falling  of  the  great  forest 
trees— unless  the  tempest  was  arrested  or  turned 
aside. 


226  God  Rules  the  Storm. 

Then  we  told  the  congregatioiirthe  same  mighty 
Saviour  was  present  with  us,  who  stilled  the  tempest 
by  his  word,  on  boisterous  Galilee,  and  that  if  we 
called  upon  Him  with  faith  no  harm  would  come  to 
any  one  present. 

Camp  Meeting  at  Richland,  Ohio. 

We  then  called  on  the  Lord  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
that  the  power  of  the  storm  might  be  abated  around 
the  camp  ground,  and  soon  there  was  a  calm  above 
and  around  us  and  the  clouds  parted,  separating  to 
the  right  and  to  the  left,  and  there  was  neither  rain 
or  wind  that  disturbed  us  and  no  one  was  harmed. 

But  a  short  distance  from  the  camp  hundreds  of 
the  forest  trees  were  prostrated  and  the  country  was 
flooded  with  water. 

Can  we  doubt  that  the  same  mighty  one,  who,  for 
purposes  of  his  own,  heard  and  answered  Elijah,  on 
Mt.  Carmel,  and  rebuked  the  storm  on  Galilee,  heard 
and  answered  our  prayer.  *' Whatsoever  things  ye 
desire,  when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them, 
and  ye  shall  have  them." 

Though  we  had  gone  to  Muncie  as  pastors  of 
*'The  Friends'  Church,"  it  was  understood  that  we 
were  not  to  give  up  our  evangelistic  work.  On  De- 
cember 5th  we  went  to  Westerville,  Ohio,  to  hold 
some  meetings.  The  pastors  of  Westerville  gave  us 
a  cordial  welcome  and  support. 

At  this  place  we  came  sharply  in  contact  with 
the  whisky  element.  While  Esther  was  preaching 
one  day  she  remarked,  *'It  is  just  as  sinful  to  sell 
intoxicating  drinks  at  a  drug  store  as  at  a  saloon,  and 
those  who  do  it  are  no  better  than  saloonkeepers," 
and  at  the  same  meeting  prayer  was  offered  for  the 
keepers  of  the  drug  stores.  One  of  them  took  great 
offense  and  threatened  to  prosecute  us  for  interfer- 


Attend  Many  Meetings.  227 

ing  with  Ms  business.    "We  sent  him  word  that  the 
threats  of  the  wicked  had  no  terrors  for  us. 

The  Lord  gave  us  many  souls  converted  at  West- 
erville,  some  among  the  students  in  the  United 
Brethren  College.  We  had  commenced  in  the 
Evangelical  meeting-house,  and  that  house  proving 
too  small,  we  were  invited  to  the  chapel  room  of  the 
college,  where  many  of  the  students  and  professors 
of  the  college  attended  our  meetings. 

There  was  one  young  man  converted  who  became 
a  Presbyterian  minister  and  has  done  a  most  blessed 
work  in  that  denomination. 

We  went  from  Westerville  to  Baltimore,  Ohio, 
a  little  inland  town  off  quite  a  distance  from  any  rail- 
way station,  nine  miles  from  Lancaster.  Our  meet- 
ings here  were  crowned  with  success,  though  I  was 
sick  part  of  the  time  and  Esther  had  to  conduct  the 
meetings  alone.  My  health  had  been  very  poor  the 
past  year  and  sometimes  I  thought  my  work  for  the 
Lord  was  finished.  But  thanks  to  the  Lord,  he  has 
continued  me  until  this  day,  and  I  shall  yet  live  to  see 
some  things  accomplished  that  I  greatly  desire. 

"In  every  condition,  in  sickness  and  health, 
In  poverty's  vale,  or  abounding  in  wealth. 
At  home,  or  abroad,  on  the  land  or  the  sea, 
As  our  days  may  demand  shall  our  strength  ever  be." 

Lancaster,  Ohio,  1889. 

January  26th,  1879,  we  came  to  Lancaster, 
Franklin  County,  Ohio.  This  was  Sabbath,  and  at 
night  we  held  our  first  meeting.  Our  home  was  with 
Doctor  Gabriel  Mesie  and  wife.  They  were  among 
the  most  influential  citizens  of  this  old  aristocratic 
town.    He  was  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church 


228  Meetings  at  Lancaster^  Oliio. 

and  had  attended  the  Caroll  camp  meeting  and  heard 
us  preach  there,  and  he  had  arranged  for  us  to  be  his 
guests  when  we  came  to  hold  meetings  at  Lancaster. 
We  were  entertained  at  his  elegant  home  and  had  all 
the  comforts  and  attention  that  we  needed. 

The  conversion  of  Dr.  Mesie  was  a  very  remark- 
able one.  At  the  Caroll  camp  meeting  he  had  been 
deeply  convicted,  but  thought  he  was  sick,  and  so 
stated  to  his  family.  After  returning  from  the  camp 
meeting  he  searched  for  some  medicine  in  his  office, 
that  would  give  him  relief,  but  could  find  none.  He 
told  his  wife  he  must  die ;  and  three  times  he  told  his 
family  just  when  it  would  occur,  but  death  did  not 
come. 

Dr.  Mesie  was  a  fine  musician;  he  played  the 
organ  and  led  the  singing  and  gathered  many  of  the 
young  people  around  him.  He  was  very  popular  in 
the  community  and  a  great  favorite  among  the  young 
people. 

After  a  little  time  his  wife  was  converted,  but 
Dr.  Mesie  would  not  yield,  though  he  attended  all  the 
meetings. 

Finally  the  young  people  who  sang  with  him 
said:  **Dr.  Mesie,  if  you  will  go  to  the  altar  we  will 
go  with  you."  He  at  first  refused  to  go  with  them, 
but  finally  said,  **Well,  if  it  will  do  you  any  good  I 
will  go." 

Many  of  the  young  people  were  converted  that 
night,  but  Dr.  Mesie  was  not.  His  wife  said  he 
tossed  in  wakefulness  all  that  night.  The  next  day 
we  saw  little  of  him.  At  the  tea  table  he  said :  * '  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Frame,  and  wife,  you  will  please  excuse  me 
from  going  to  meeting  this  evening ;  I  am  very  sick ; 
I  have  rheumatism  all  through  me." 

We  smiled  and  said  "we  could  not  excuse  him." 
Though  a  very  courteous  gentleman,  he  said,  mani- 


Dr.  Messie  Converted.  229 

festing  some  irritation,  ^'I  don't  think  it  anything 
amusing  because  a  man  has  rheumatism."  But  as 
we  would  not  excuse  him,  he  went  to  meeting  that 
night,  and  when  the  invitation  was  given  for  seekers 
he  hesitated  a  time  and  then  came,  and  throwing  him- 
self across  the  seekers'  bench,  cried  out  with  a  loud 
voice,  "God  iiave  mercy  on  me,  a  sinner," 

The  altar  was  thronged,  and  we  were  talking  to 
the  seekers  and  instructing  them  when  Dr.  Mesie 
said  to  Esther,  **Sing  'Let  it  Cleanse  Me  Now.'' '' 
This  was  music  and  a  hymn  of  his  own  composing. 
She  commenced  singing,  and  soon  Dr.  Mesie  rose 
to  his  feet  and  shouted  so  as  to  be  heard  all  over  the 
audience,  "I  am  well  of  the  rheumatism,  I  am  well  of 
the  rhemnatism;  the  Lord  has  saved  me." 

The  revival  spirit  compassed  the  town  and  such 
crowds  came  that  two  such  houses  would  not  have 
accommodated  the  people;  indeed  such  conviction 
and  feeling  was  there  in  the  community  that  the 
number  of  people  who  would  come  could  only  have 
been  limited  by  the  size  of  the  house.  I  believe  if 
there  had  been  room  we  should  have  had  an  audience 
of  five  thousand  people. 

You  ask,  "Did  any  come  from  curiosity?" 
Yes,  some  at  first,  and  then  remained  to  pray,  but 
curiosity  soon  ceased  and  people  came  to  give  their 
hearts  to  God  and  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord 
preached. 

One  Sabbath  night  Esther  went  to  the  large 
Methodist  meeting-house  to  preach.  I  remained  at 
the  house  where  we  held  the  meeting;  both  houses 
were  filled  and  many  were  turned  away  for  want  of 
room. 

There  was  a  very  beautiful  incident  occurred  in 
one  of  the  night  meetings.  Many  had  professed  con- 
version.    Among  them  was  a  young   girl  fourteen 


230  Transfigured. 

years  old,  who  had  naturally  a  sweet,  pure  face,  but 
when  she  was  converted  her  face  was  almost  trans- 
figured. There  was  a  beauty  of  expression  that  was 
beyond  any  earthly  beauty  that  we  ever  beheld.  She 
was  kneeling  among  the  penitents,  her  hands  clasped 
softly,  one  into  the  other,  her  beautiful,  radiant  face, 
with  a  holy  expression  of  love  upon  it,  her  wide  open 
blue  eyes  looking  upward,  while  she  kept  repeating 
the  words  in  soft  lute-like  tones,  *'He  has  come!  He 
has  come!"  And  when  the  meeting  had  been  dis- 
missed, she  still  was  kneeling  and  people  stood 
around  her  and  gazed  with  awe  and  admiration  on 
that  radiant  face.  What  will  it  be  when  we  shall 
meet  in  that  "land  of  eternal  rest  among  the  millions 
of  the  glorified  r' 

There  were  many  very  interesting  conversions 
and  incidents  occurred  in  these  meetings,  but  we  can- 
not take  time  to  relate  them  all.  There  were  more 
than  two  hundred  conversions  while  we  remained 
and  many  came  to  Christ  after  we  had  left. 

I  give  below  some  extracts  from  letters  received 
with  regard  to  the  meetings.  The  first  extract  is 
from  a  letter  just  after  we  had  gone  away  to  Colum- 
bus, Ohio,  where  we  had  an  engagement. 

*' Lancaster,  February  9th,  1879. 

*^Dear  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  we  concluded  to  in- 
form you  of  the  progress  in  our  meetings.  The  suc- 
cess is  great— fifty  more  converts  e're  the  week  goes 
by.  Fifteen  have  been  converted  now.  We  have 
visited  Dr.  Mesie,  the  leader  of  our  praying  band. 
He  has  secured  the  names  of  eighty  young  converts 
to  his  ''Golden  Pillar,"  "or  praying  band.'*  We 
have  remained  faithful  and  our  prayers  have  been 
answered,  our  visit  to  the  doctor  was  one  of  exceed- 
ing joy  to  us.  He  is  delighted  that  you  have  brought 
him  to  the  cross.    The  doctor  has  done  a  good  work 


The  Golden  Pillar.  231 

in  bringing  sinners  to  the  Lord.  On  last  Sabbath 
night  he  brought  twelve  old  sinners  to  the  mourners 
bench.  The  cry  of  '^amen^'  was  heard  from  every 
one  as  they  fell  upon  their  knees,  imploring  Grod  to 
have  mercy  upon  them.  God  be  with  you,  we  shall 
ever  remember  you  in  our  prayers.  Yours  in  the  love 
of  Christ. 

"Ella  Eheinholt, 

*  *  Lizzie  Prentice, 

*  *  C  APiTOLA  Leonard.  '  * 
"Lancaster,  O.,  Feb.  18th,  1874. 

*'Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame, 

"Dear  Friends: 

"Your  letter  came  to  hand  last  evening,  was  de- 
lighted to  hear  from  you,  and  your  safe  arrival.  The 
greetings  and  singing  you  received  at  the  depot  were 
such  as  will  never  be  forgotten  by  those  who  were 
there.  I  can  assure  you  that  there  were  manj^  eyes 
in  tears  at  your  departure.  I  never  in  my  life  wit- 
nessed such  friendship;  for  two,  who  are  absent  as 
this  little  praying  band  of  eighty  souls  developed 
while  you  were  among  us.  Their  earnest  prayers 
are  come  again  and  tell  us  more  of  Jesus.  The  young 
converts  are  working  like  beavers,  and  Satan  is  very 
angry,  but  we  keep  our  distance  and  punch  him  occa- 
sionally with  a  long  pole,  minus  hook  and  bait. 

"Dr.  G.  Messie.'* 

This  town  of  Lancaster  is  an  old  town,  and  one 
of  the  most  conservative  of  any  in  the  State  of  Ohio. 
A  great  many  very  prominent  old  families  and  their 
relations  have  their  home  here.  The  Shermans,  the 
Ewings,  the  Messies,  and  many  others.  I  copy  a  little 
note  from  a  correspondent  to  one  of  the  Cincinnati 
papers. 

"The  revival  under  the  supervision  of  the  Evan- 
gelists Nathan  and  Esther  Frame,  is.  a  success.    The 


232  Correspondence. 

meetings,  both  morning  and  evening,  are  filled  to 
repletion.  There  never  was  snch  a  meeting  in  the 
city  before.  It  a_ppears  that  every  man  will  know 
his  wickedness  and  weakness  ere  these  series  of  meet- 
ings closes." 

I  close  the  meager  account  of  this  most  remark- 
able series  of  meetings  by  inserting  an  article  from 
the  pen  of  T.  W.  Stanly,  Presiding  Elder  of  the 
M.  E.  Church  on  the  Lancaster  District,  at  the  time 
we  held  our  meetings. 

*' Communicated/' 
Mrs.  Frame,  the  Evangelist. 

The  series  of  meetings  at  East  Lancaster,  to- 
gether with  its  leaders,  Mr.  and  l\L:s.  Frame,  demand 
more  than  a  passing  notice.  The  congregations  have 
been  immense  and  the  interest  awakened  such  as  is 
rarely  equaled.  Large  numbers  have  professed  par- 
don of  their  sins,  the  lives  of  cold,  half-hearted 
church  members,  have  been  made  better.  A  high 
standard  of  Christian  character  has  been  urged  upon 
the  churches.  Lancaster  may  well  be  gratified  for 
the  visit  of  the  Evangelists.  Mrs.  Frame  is  far  from 
being  a  mere  exhorter.  She  is  a  preacher  of  the  Gos- 
pel, and  that  of  a  very  high  order.  Bishop  Simpson 
has  lately  very  clearly  shown  the  object  of  a  sermon 
is  not  the  sermon  itself;  not  the  reputation  of  the 
preacher;  not  the  gratification  of  the  people.  It  is 
not  only  iostruction,  but  persuasion.  The  highest 
success  of  a  preacher  is  his  persuasive  power,  "Imow- 
iQg  therefore  the  terror  of  the  Lord  we  persuade 
men."  Her  appeals  to  better  living  have  had  that 
wonderful  logical  power  that  carries  conviction  not 
only  to  the  head  but  to  the  heart  also.  The  argument 
is  there,  but  not  displayed  as  argument.    It  is  so  pre- 


Modem  Miracle.  233 

sented  and  lighted  up  with  illustrations  that  she 
carries  her  hearers  along  with  her,  and  the  supei'ficial 
mind  may  think  there  is  no  logic,  because  she  has  not 
advertised  it.  She  has  reached  aU  ages  from  child- 
hood to  old  age.  Her  preaching  is  with  demonstra- 
tion of  the  Spirit  and  with  power. 

T.  W.  Stanley, 
Presiding  Elder  M.  E.  Church,  Lancaster,  Ohio. 
From  Lancaster  we  went  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  to 
hold  meetings  in  Town  Street  M.  E.  Church,  B.  W. 
King,  Pastor.  As  I  have  already  given  quite  a  full 
aceoimt  of  a  series  of  meetings  that  we  held  at  North 
High  Street  in  Columbus,  I  will  not  say  much  of  this 
meeting,  except  that  the  house  was  filled  nightly,  and 
many  were  converted.  I  quote  a  few  sentences  from 
a  Columbus  paper,  headed 

^^ Modern  Miracles,'* 

The  meetings  at  Town  Street  M.  E.  Church,  con- 
ducted by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  are  attracting  im- 
mense audiences  every  night.  Last  night  all  the 
standing  room  was  taken  up  and  great  religious  en- 
thusiasm was  manifested.  Mrs.  Frame  preached  a 
very  impressive  sermon  and  then  called  for  seekers. 
The  audience  was  finally  dismissed  in  order  to  let  the 
members  get  to  the  seekers  and  spend  some  time  in 
laboring  with  them.  But  just  as  the  immense  com- 
pany were  going  out  Mrs.  Frame  called  to  them  to 
stop,  stating  that  there  was  a  lady  present  whom  she 
would  ask  to  teU  what  the  Lord  had  done  for  her. 
Mss  Jennie  Smith,  of  Dayton,  then  arose  and  re- 
lated a  most  remarkable  incident.  For  over  sixteen 
years  she  had  been  an  invalid.  She  had  not  been  able 
to  walk  in  that  time,  not  even  to  move  her  limbs.  She 
was  perfectly  helpless,  had  to  be  carried  wherever 
she  went.    Her  friends  had  secured  for  her  a  couch 


234  Jennie  Smith, 

on  wheels,  and  on  this  she  was  carried  from  place  to 
place.  But  for  sixteen  years  she  had  not  been  able 
to  move  of  her  own  accord.  She  had  written  a  book 
on  the  history  of  her  sufferings  and  employed  the 
best  medical  aid  in  the  country.  After  sixteen  years 
vain  efforts  for  healing  her  physical  infirmities,  she 
now  came  to  the  belief  that  God  alone  could  heal  her, 
and  this  was  her  only  hope.  She  called  her  friends 
around  her,  and  told  them  that  she  desired  them  to 
pray  for  her  restoration.  They  remained  in  f everent 
and  constant  prayer  until  midnight,  and  while  they 
were  most  earnestly  engaged  in  their  supplications. 
Miss  Smith  stated  that  she  felt  a  strange  sensation  in 
her  limbs,  her  body  quaked,  and  she  realized  she  was 
healed  and  rose  from  her  couch  a  healed  woman.  She 
was  able  to  walk  at  once.  She  ascribed  all  this  heal- 
ing to  God  in  answer  to  prayer,  and  faith  in  him. 
Miss  Smith  is  well  known  in  this  city,  she  formerly 
attended  camp  meetings  in  her  movable  couch,  and 
was  very  devout. 

While  she  was  talking  last  night  the  vast  au- 
dience was  spellbound,  and  a  direct  visitation  from- 
the  celestial  regions  would  not  have  stricken  the  peo- 
ple with  more  awe  and  wonder.  All  who  were  pres- 
ent will  never  forget  that  occasion,  and  it  was  per- 
haps the  most  startling  event  ever  witnessed  in  this 
city. 

Miss  Smith  expressed  the  joy  she  anticipated 
in  meeting  her  mother  in  Dayton  when  she  arrived 
home,  as  she  had  not  seen  her  mother  since  she  was 
healed,  and  her  mother  has  not  seen  her  walk  since 
she  was  a  child. 

The  connection  of  this  most  remarkable  account, 
with  the  intense  interest  of  the  meetings,  and  the  ex- 
hortations on  the  exercise  of  faith,  made  a  most  won- 
derful impression  on  the  audience  and  many  of  the 


Tipton,  Indiana,  235 

people  went  to  their  homes  thinking  the  days  of  mir- 
acles were  not  past.  Why  should  they  be  past  ?  ' '  To 
him  that  believeth  all  things  are  possible." 

Tipton,  Indiana, 

We  returned  to  our  home  in  Muncie,  Indiana, 
from  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  remained  there  with  our 
dear  children  and  attended  the  Friends  Meetings  on 
the  Sabbath,  in  the  mornings  and  evenings  until  the 
14th  of  March.  We  went  to  Tipton,  Indiana,  thirty 
miles  west  of  Muncie.  Tipton  is  the  county  town  of 
the  county  of  this  name. 

The  meetings  here  were  much  the  same  in  their 
general  character  as  at  other  places ;  house  crowded 
to  overflowing  from  the  very  beginning  of  the  meet- 
ings. Penitents  filling  the  altar  nightly,  many  being 
converted.  There  was  one  little  incident  came  to  our 
knowledge  of  a  different  nature  from  the  ordinary. 
There  was  a  company  of  men,  some  of  the  most  prom- 
inent citizens  of  Tipton,  who  professed  to  be  infidels 
and  had  formed  themselves  into  a  club,  and  were  in 
the  habit  of  meeting  together  once  a  week  to  discuss 
various  matters  and  engage  in  games  for  pastime 
and  to  ridicule  the  Christian  religion.  They  were 
having  a  very  bad  influence  on  the  young  men,  and 
many  older  men  in  and  around  Tipton.  These  men 
attended  the  meetings  and  became  convicted  of  their 
sins  under  the  frequent  preaching  of  the  gospel. 
They  became  so  restless  that  they  accused  some  of  the 
citizens  of  informing  Esther  of  what  they  were  doing 
and  said  they  did  not  think  it  was  using  them  right 
to  tell  the  preachers  all  about  them,  and  then,  for 
them  to  hold  them  up  before  the  public.  The  truth 
was  we  had  not  heard  anything  about  them,  and  the 
preachers  were  not  holding  them  up  before  the  peo- 


236  The  Spirit  and  the  Word. 

pie,  but  we  preached  against  their  sins,  and  they  felt 
it. 

*^Tlie  spirit  of  God  is  sharper  than  a  two-edged 
sword,  piercing  even  to  the  dividing  of  the  joints 
and  marrow,  and  is  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts  and 
intents  of  the  heart." 

But  these  gentlemen  finally  became  so  much  in- 
terested in  the  meetings  that  they  offered  us  (through 
a  friend)  five  dollars  each  if  we  would  remain  one 
more  Sabbath,  and  they  disbanded  their  Infidel  Club. 
I  copy  from  a  Tipton  paper  the  following  notice : 

Evangelistic  Meetings, 

The  interest  that  has  been  manifested  by  the 
citizens  of  Tipton  and  vicinity,  is  becoming  more 
marked  every  day.  These  truly  good  people,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Frame,  have  changed  the  sentiment 
and  the  subject  of  religion  is  now  being  dis- 
cussed on  all  sides,  by  all  classes,  to  the  exclusion  of 
everything  else.  The  eloquent  pathetic  appeals 
touch  the  hardest  heart  and  their  illustrations  are  so 
vivid  and  real  as  to  move  the  whole  congregation  to 
tears. 

The  largest  church  building  in  town  is  packed 
every  night,  long  before  the  second  bell,  and  many 
people  are  compelled  to  leave,  not  being  able  to  even 
get  standing  room.  Scores  have  risen  for  the  prayers 
of  the  church,  and  many  have  been  converted. 

We  do  not  know  how  long  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame 
will  remain,  but  hope  they  will  not  leave  until  all  the 
people  in  this  community  are  convinced  that  there  is 
a  God,  and  learn  to  obey  him.  The  Spirituality  in 
Tipton  is  of  a  much  higher  tone  than  when  these 
meetings  comjnenced.  May  it  ever  continue  to  be  so. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  speak  in  the  highest  terms  of  the 
people  of  Tipton.    Our  people  have  a  deep  and  rev- 


Various  Meetings.  237 

erent  love  for  them,  and  will   always   give  them  a 
hearty  welcome  to  Tipton." 

"Blessed  be  the  tie  that  binds 
Our  hearts  in  Christian  love 
The  fellowship  of  kindred  minds 
Is  like  to  that  above." 

^^By  this  shall  ye  know  ye  have  passed  from 
death  imto  life  because  ye  love  the  brethren." 

Various  Meetings. 

On  the  28th  went  to  Marshall  County,  Indiana, 
and  held  a  week's  meeting  in  Plymouth  at  the  M.  E. 
Church.  As  we  went  to  Plymouth  we  changed  trains 
at  Tipton.  The  time  between  trains  was  two  or  three 
houi*s,  and  we  dined  at  our  Friends,  Mr.  Peeshings. 
When  we  came  to  the  depot  to  take  the  train  for 
Plymouth,  we  found  many  of  our  old  friends  there 
to  greet  us,  and  among  them  a  large  number  of  the 
young  converts,  young  men  and  women.  The  young 
ladies,  in  honor  of  the  occasion,  had  arrayed  them- 
selves in  Quaker  costumes;  they  wore  the  old-fash- 
ioned plain  bonnets;  they  had  made  them  out  of 
brown  and  drab  paper,  and  their  little  shoulder 
shawls  were  pinned  after  the  approved  manner, 
across  in  front,  and  they  appeared  just  as  the 
Friends  did  fifty  years  ago.  We  received  it  as  an 
ovation  from  the  dear  young  converts,  whose  hearts 
were  filled  with  the  Saviour's  love,  and  when  we  bade 
them  good-bye,  we  rejoiced  that  our  hearts  were 
yoimg  wdth  them. 

On  June  6th  we  went  to  Lancaster,  Ohio,  where 
we  held  the  series  of  meetings  in  1878.  We  went  to 
hold  a  Tabernacle  or  tent  meeting.  We  held  four- 
teen sessions  of  the  meeting.  We  copy  a  report  from 
the  Lancaster  papers : 


238  Tabernacle  Meeting. 

Tabernacle  Meetings. 

The  Tabernacle  meetings  held  in  East  Lancaster 
by  the  Evangelists  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  were  well 
attended.  The  meetings  were  continued  nightly  un- 
til Sabbath  last.  On  Sabbath,  services  were  held  in 
the  morning  and  conducted  by  Mr.  Frame,  the  sub- 
ject of  the  discourse  being,  '*The  General  Judg- 
ment." The  argument  was  powerful  and  convinc- 
ing, replete  with  ideas  that  were  beautiful  and  sub- 
lime, and  backed  by  philosophical  portrayal  that 
took  his  hearers  by  storm.  In  the  evening  the  Taber- 
nacle being  crowded,  Mrs.  Frame  took  up  the  subject 
of  the  resurrection,  which  was  ably  discoursed  upon. 
She  became  so  eloquent  and  thrilling  that  she  carried 
the  vast  audience  with  her  with  an  effect  that  was 
wonderful.  She  is  a  powerful  magnetic  preacher, 
convincing  and  at  all  times  brings  her  audience  under 
such  perfect  control  that  the  whole  audience  are 
bathed  in  tears.  The  parting  scene  after  the  services 
will  long  be  remembered  by  the  hundreds  in  attend- 
ance as  they  came  forward  to  bid  the  Evangelists 
farewell.  The  desire  of  the  many  Christians  is  that 
they  may  soon  return  to  bring  many  more  sinners 
to  the  cross. 

Lying  between  the  towns  of  Jamestown,  Cedar- 
ville,  Selma  and  South  Charleston,  is  a  rich  agricul- 
tural and  densely  populated  country,  and  for  seven 
or  eight  years  past  we  had  been  holding  meetings  in 
this  part  of  the  country.  Joseph  Brotherton,  a 
Methodist,  owned  a  large  farm,  and  on  it  had  an 
immense  bam  for  the  purpose  of  storing  his  hay 
crop,  but  usually  by  the  last  of  May  the  hay  was  £ill 
out  of  the  barn  and  ready  for  the  next  year's  crop. 
So  when  the  barn  was  empty  in  the  month  of  June, 
1879,  Joseph  advertised  that  there  would  be  a  two 
days  meeting  (Saturday  and  Sabbath)  at  his  bam 


Barn  Meetings,  239 

and  that  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame  would  be  there 
(he  had  written  ns  to  know  if  we  would  attend) .  The 
meeting  was  large  Saturday,  and  on  Sabbath  an  im- 
mense concourse  of  people  were  there.  Many  people 
from  all  the  towns  above  mentioned  and  the  sur- 
rounding coimtry.  We  held  this  two  days'  barn 
meetings  for  three  successive  years.  Many  people 
attended  who  seldom  went  to  meetings  at  any  other 
time. 

On  August  2nd,  1879^  went  to  attend  a  Camp 
Meeting  at  Pataskala  Licking  Co.,  Ohio.  Remained 
at  this  meeting  one  week ;  on  Sabbath  Esther  was  so 
ill  she  could  not  attend  meeting.  There  was  as- 
sembled a  great  crowd  of  curious  people  who  had  not 
attended  the  meetings  the  first  Sabbath,  or  during  the 
week,  but  had  come  out  the  last  day  of  the  meeting  to 
see  the  woman.  At  the  close  of  the  eleven  o'clock 
meeting  in  the  morning,  I  was  besieged  to  know  if 
the  woman  would  be  there  that  day,  and  when  I  in- 
formed them  that  Esther  was  sick,  and  confined  to 
her  room  and  bed,  a  large  and  showily  dressed 
woman  came  to  me  and  said,  *'Well,  can't  you  bring 
her  out  on  the  ground,  and  if  she  is  too  sich  to  preach 
let  her  stand  up  in  the  pulpit  a  few  minutes  for  I 
want  to  see  her."  She  had  come  four  miles  for  that 
very  purpose.  I  told  her  that  Esther  came  to  preach, 
not  to  exhibit  herself,  and  that  as  she  was  not  able  ta 
preach  she  was  not  on  exhibition. 

Saturday,  August  9th,  attended  our  own  Quar- 
terly Meeting,  held  at  Waynesville,  Warren  Co., 
Ohio.  Meeting  large.  After  meeting  went  same 
evening  to  Jamestown,  Ohio,  and  next  morning  (Sab- 
bath) I  went  to  Selma,  Clark  Co.,  to  attend  and 
preach  at  Green  Plain,  and  Esther  went  to  Seneca 
Friends  meeting  near  Jamestown,  and  preached.  On 


240  On  the  Wing, 

the  afternoon  Esther  came  to  Selma  and  we  were 
both  at  the  night  meeting. 

Monday  morning  went  from  Green  Plain  to 
Cesars  Creek,  our  own  Monthly  meeting,  to  attend  a 
general  meeting  appointed  for  the  whole  monthly 
meeting  which  was  composed  of  three  congregations 
and  always  attended  by  a  very  large  concourse  of 
people.  There  were  four  sessions  of  the  meeting, 
two  on  Saturday  and  two  on  the  Sabbath.  These 
meetings  were  very  blessed  occasions,  a  feast  of  good 
things  to  the  church  and  blessed  opportunities  to 
preach  the  Gospel  to  the  unsaved.  The  last  meeting 
on  Sabbath  afternoon  was  a  meeting  of  thanksgiving 
and  praise,  and  joyous  testimony,  in  which  the  whole 
church  took  part.  The  meeting  concluded  with  gen- 
eral handshaking  and  Christian  greetings,  farewells 
and  well  wishes,  falling  as  benedictions  from  heaven, 
on  hearts  that  were  filled  with  the  love  of  the  Saviour. 
How  sweet  the  remembrance  of  these  holy  convoca- 
tions. How  we  linger  over  the  memory  of  them  after 
years  have  passed  away. 

Cesars  Creek. 

Like  golden  shafts  of  sunlight,  they  fall  along 
our  pathway,  and  we  are  once  more  among  the  kindly 
men  and  women  of  "The  Olden  Time,"  and  are  lis- 
tening to  their  beautifully  simple  words,  spoken  as 
confidingly  to  each  other  as  if  they  had  always  lived 
together  under  the  same  roof,  and  were  children  of 
the  same  father  and  mother.  And  so  they  are,  for 
one  is  our  Master  even  Christ,  and  God  is  our  Father, 
and  we  are  hrethren. 

We  hear  again  these  greetings :  "Well,  how  art 
thou  Jessie,  I  am  glad  to  see  thee ;  how  is  Eunice  and 
the  rest  of  the  family?"  We  are  in  usual  health, 
thank  thee,  all  except  Gemima,  but  she  is  here,  just 


Cesars  Creek  Meeting.  241 

a  slight  cold,  I  think.  She  has  just  gone  out  with 
Eunice  to  look  at  Uncle  Jesy's  grave,  will  be  back 
before  meeting  tinie.  And  here  is  Isaac,  I  am  glad 
to  see  thee  looking  so  well ;  did  Mary  come  with  thee, 
and  has  thee  heard  if  Levi  MiUs  will  be  here  ?  I  am 
quite  weU,  Isaac  responds,  never  felt  better  in  my 
life.  Mary  is  here,  she  and  Deborah  Loyd  are  around 
among  Friends  making  up  a  little  sum  of  money  for 
that  poor  family  just  across  the  creek.  Nathan  and 
Esther  have  come  and  I  brought  them  over  from 
Spring  Valley  with  me  this  morning.  They  are  gone 
away  so  much  of  late  I  am  glad  to  have  them  with  us 
once  more.  I  think  we  shall  have  a  good  meeting. 
I  heard  nothing  of  Levi. 

''Why,  Aunt  Massy,  I  am  so* glad  to  see  thee,  I 
have  not  seen  thee  since  last  General  Meeting,  and 
that  is  such  a  long  time.  I  wish  general  meeting 
would  come  every  month  in  the  year  for  we  have  such 
good  times.  Where  is  Jessie,  and  Benjamin,  and 
John,  and  Uncle  Amos?  O!  here  they  come,"  and 
the  young  Quaker  girl,  full  of  joy  and  happiness, 
with  the  sunlight  of  purity  shining  all  over  her  beau- 
tiful face,  is  bounding  away  to  meet  the  dear  ones 
whose  names  she  has  just  mentioned.  Before  *'Aunt 
Massy"  has  had  time  to  reply  to  any  of  the  ques- 
tions she  has  just  asked  her,  but  "Aunt  Massy"  as 
she  is  familiarly  called  by  all  of  Cesars  Creek  meet- 
ing, is  not  disturbed  by  the  sudden  departure  of  the 
innocent  young  girl,  but  with  her  great  shining  face 
full  of  joy  and  benevolence,  with  the  love  of  Christ 
written  all  over  it,  turns  her  mild  blue  eyes  after  her 
and  audibly  utters  the  words,  "Dear  Child,"  and  the 
sweet  words  fall  upon  our  ears,  reminding  us  of  the 
childhood  home  a  thousand  miles  away,  and  tears 
imbidden  silently  course  their  way  down  the  cheek, 
as  Aunt  Massy  turns  away  and  follows  the  throng  of 


242 


Meeting  Concludes. 


worshipers,  who  have  been  so  grandly  represent- 
ing God's  family.  We  now  follow  the  people  to  the 
place  under  the  great  locust  trees  where  the  meeting 
is  to  be,  *'For  it  is  time  to  set  meeting.*' 


(ypM^ 


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1—1 


o 


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Q 

< 

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Among  Home  Friends.  243 


CHAPTEE  X. 

(1879) 
Cesar's  Creek. 

How  vividly  the  scenes  come  before  us ;  tlie  wait- 
ing assembly,  the  elderly  Friends  occupying  the 
front  row  of  seats,  next  to  the  high,  long  seat  where 
the  ministers  sat,  men  and  women,  ministers,  and 
farthest  back  were  the  yoimg  men  and  women,  the 
coming  glory  and  strength  of  the  church. 

As  they  silently  wait  on  the  Lord  some  woman 
Friend  is  moved  by  the  spirit  to  bow  in  supplication, 
and  ask  *'That  the  meeting  may  be  a  great  blessing 
to  all  present,  and  that  the  Lord  may  send  by  whom 
He  will,  and  choose  His  own  messenger,''  and  her 
soul  is  so  filled  with  the  divine  love  that  her  pleadings 
became  irresistibly  eloquent,  and  the  pathetic  utter- 
ances fall  from  her  saintly  lips,  like  goodly  pearls, 
and  the  assembly  are  conscious  that  she  has  been 
with  Jesus,  and  that  her  prayers  were  indited  by 
Him.  Then  an  exhortation ;  then  some  exposition  of 
the  Scripture  with  such  clearness  and  power  that  all 
hearts  were  made  to  rejoice  in  the  wonderful  re- 
demption provided  for  all  who  will  accept  it  through 
Christ  our  Lord. 

And  so  we  follow  the  course  of  the  meeting  un- 
til the  time  comes  for  "meeting  to  conclude."  The 
handshaking  and  farewells  are  to  be  given,  and 
"Friends  separate  to  meet  at  the  same  place  and  time 
next  year,  if  the  Lord  tvill/' 

As  the  "farewells"  are  being  spoken,  we  hear 
Mother  Joy  say,  "Well,  I  feel  so  thankful  that  I 
have  been  permitted  to  attend  one  more  general  meet- 
ing, and  see  *  Friends'  again,  we  must  acknowledge 


244  Farewells. 

that  the  Lord  has  been  with  us.  Farewell,  Mahala, 
farewell,  John,  I  may  not  be  here  any  more,  for  I  fed 
that  my  day's  work  is  about  done.  Jessie  is  gone,  and 
Eunice  and  Thomas,  and  Asenith  and  Mary,  but  I 
am  ready  to  follow  when  my  time  comes,  farewell,'' 
and  the  beautiful  old  face  that  has  smiled  out  from 
under;  the  old  Quaker  bonnet  for  so  many  years,  the 
lips  that  have  spoken  so  many  encouraging  words, 
we  shall  never  see  in  the  meetings  among  the  elders 
again,  and  so  the  meetings  close  and  the  friends  de- 
partmever  to  all  meet  here.  God  bless  and  keep  the 
dear  friends  at  Cesars  Creek,  until  the  time  shall 
come  that  heavenly  skill,  and  wisdom  infinite,  shall 
join,  cement  and  fix,  the  seal  of  High  Divinity  to 
life's  poor  broken  vase;  and  the  saying  shall  be 
brought  to  pass,  ** Death  is  swallowed  up  in  victory! 
O,  death,  where  is  thy  sting !  O,  grave,  where  is  thy 
victory!"  Thanks  be  unto  God,  who  giveth  us  the 
victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Praise  the  Lord  that  life  and  immortality  are 
brought  to  light  through  the  gospel,  and  all  who  love 
the  Saviour  and  have  been  redeemed  by  Him  shall 
meet 

"Where  the  spoiler  finds  no  prey, 

Where  lovely  things  and  sweet  pass  not  away." 

Dear  Old  Home  Meeting,  how  many  of  the  pre- 
cious ones,  who  were  there  when  we  first  became 
members  of  Cesars  Creek  monthly  meeting  have 
passed  away,  and  we  see  their  dear  faces  among  the 
throng  of  worshipers  no  more.  Their  bodies  are 
buried  inside  the  gray  limestone  walls,  a  quiet  resting 
place  for  the  loved  departed  on  the  hillside,  close  to 
the  old  meeting-house  where  they  worshiped  all  their 
lifetime.  The  ivy  climbs  over  the  wall,  while  sum- 
mers come  and  summers  go,  the  great  forest  trees 
nearby  stretch  out  their  arms  above  them,  the  grasses 


Van  Wert,  Ohio.  245 

grow  over  the  graves,  the  birds  build  their  nests,  and 
raise  their  young,  and  thus  the  sweep  of  time  moves 
on  and  leads  all  unto  the  final  resting  place. 

^^Dear  Friends  of^  Cesars  Creek,  Farewell." 

Van  Wert,  Ohio. 

September  18th,  1879,  went  from  Spring  Val- 
ley to  Van  Wert,  Ohio.  Allie  and  Harvey  Berg- 
man, Evangelists  of  Friends  Church,  had  recently, 
through  their  faithful  and  continued  labor  estab- 
lished a  Friends  meeting  at  Van  Wert,  and  two  more 
a  few  miles  out  in  the  country,  and  we  went  to  visit 
these  new  meetings  and  give  them  some  gospel  mes- 
sages. 

There  was  creeping  in  among  these  new  meet- 
ings an  error  which  we  felt  called  upon  to  rebuke. 
We  learned  that  quite  a  large  number  of  persons 
were  joining  Friends  from  other  churches,  because 
** Friends  Church"  was  a  ''free  church,''  as  they  ex- 
pressed it,  cost  them  nothing.  We  told  them  that  if 
people  came  to  us  because  they  were  convinced  of  the 
Scriptural  views  of  Friends,  and  that  they  were  in 
harmony  with  us,  we  were  glad  to  have  them,  and  if 
any  of  them  were  not  able  financially  to  pay  so  much 
as  a  farthing  we  welcomed  them,  but  we  expected 
those  who  were  able  to  assist  in  paying  their  share 
of  the  expense.  If  they  had  no  higher  motive  in 
coming  to  us  than  to  get  clear  of  helping  support  the 
church  and  its  institutions,  we  didn't  want  them,  for 
we  had  too  many  members  of  that  kind  now.  We 
told  them  to  be  a  Christian  was  to  be  a  soldier,  and 
that  they  must  not  think— 

"To  be  carried  to  heaven  on  flowery  beds  of  ease, 
Whilst  others  fought  to  win  the  prize 
And  sailed  through  bloody  seas. 


246  Springfield,  Ohio. 

That  there  were  foes  for  all  to  face, 
And  all  must  stem  the  flood. 
That  earth  was  not  a  friend  to  grace 
To  help  us  on  to  God." 

That  Christ  who  gave  Himself  for  us  a  ransom, 
required  us  to  work  together  with  him.  We  do  not 
work  to  be  saved,  but  being  saved,  we  work. 

Springfield,  Ohio. 

We  held  a  series  of  meetings  at  Central  M.  E. 
Church,  Springfield,  Ohio,  from  the  20th  of  Novem- 
ber until  the  20th  of  December,  Brother  Eobison, 
pastor.  We  were  entertained  at  P.  T.  Masts.  Our 
meetings  were  crowned  with  success  in  winning 
souls  to  Christ.  This  was  our  last  series  of  meetings 
in  1879.  I  only  give  the  above  brief  notice  in  con- 
nection with  a  little  account  taken  from  the  Spring- 
field papers : 

'^ Gospel  Meeting  at  Central  M.  E.  Church." 

These  meetings  are  still  increasing  in  interest,  a 
glowing  solicitude  is  being  awakened  in  the  church 
for  the  salvation  of  the  people.  This  is  seen  from 
the  increasing  requests  for  prayer  which  are  made 
in  the  meetings. 

Last  night  the  audience  room  and  galleries  were 
packed  to  their  utmost  capacity,  while  scores  were 
turned  away  who  could  not  get  seats. 

The  sermon  of  Mrs.  Frame  was  the  most  power- 
ful she  has  yet  preached.  The  vast  audience  were 
hushed  into  almost  breathless  silence,  while  she  un- 
folded the  truths  contained  in  her  text,  **My  Spirit 
shall  not  always  strive  with  man,"  and  many  were 
made  to  feel  the  awful  danger  of  grie\i.ng  Him  away. 


I 


Springfield,  Ohio.  247 

There  were  seekers  came  forward,  and  some  were 
saved.  The  ten  o'clock  meeting  today  was  replete 
with  interest  in  spite  of  the  rain.  Mr.  Frame  gave  a 
very  profitable  sermon  in  the  morning,  and  much 
good  was  done.  Tomorrow  (Thursday  at  11  o'clock) 
Mrs.  Frame  will  speak  on  "Sanctification."  Let  all 
who  want  to  hear  about,  and  get  the  sweet  kind, 
which  is  the  only  genuine  article,  go. 

And  concerning  aU  these  meetings  we  have  a 
word  of  exhortation,  go  and  hear  for  yourselves,  and 
then  you  will  be  sure  to  go  again. 

Another  account  says: 

Springfield,  Ohio,  1880. 

^'Nathan    mid    Esther   Frame    at    Central   M.    E. 
Church,  Springfield,  O/* 

The  meeting  Saturday  night  was  one  of  un- 
usual delight  and  profit.  A  good  audience  heard  from 
Mrs.  Frame  how  to  "Go  wash  and  be  clean,"  in 
which  there  ran  a  beautiful  parallel  between  Naa- 
man,  the  leper,  and  the  sinner  seeking  to  be  saved. 
There  were  some  at  this  service  who  washed  and 
were  made  clean. 

Sabbath  morning  Mr.  Frame  preached  a  power- 
ful sermon  on  the  general  judgment,  from  the  text, 
*'For  He  hath  appointed  a  day  in  which  He  will 
judge  the  world  in  righteousness  by  that  man  whom 
He  hath  ordained,  whereof  He  hath  given  assurance 
in  that  He  hath  raised  Him  from  the  dead."  Acts 
XVII  and  31st. 

He  also  gave  a  delightful  sermon  to  the  children 
at  8  p.  m.,  using  the  horseshoe  magnet  and  tacks  to 
illustrate  his  subject. 

The  Sunday  evening  sermon  by  Mrs.  Frame  was 
the  gem  among  these  jewels.  The  interest  in  the 
meetings  continues  unabated,  as  was  made  manifest 


248 


Strange  Things  Occur. 


by  the  fact  that  before  7  o'clock  p.  m.  the  church  was 
fall  to  its  utmost  capacity,  and  many  leaving  because 
they  could  not  gain  admittance. 

Preparing  to  Keep  House, 

On  December  29th,  1889,  left  Esther  at  Spring 
Valley  and  I  went  to  Muncie,  Indiana,  for  our  goods 
which  had  been  boxed  and  stored  in  a  warehouse 
since  April.  Our  children  had  been  at  Wilmington 
College  in  school,  and  we  had  been  going  from  place 
to  place  holding  meetings,  of  which  I  have  given 
some  account,  though  there  were  many  meetings  we 
attended  that  I  have  not  noticed  in  these  reminisc- 
cences.  There  were  many  times  during  the  summer 
and  fall  of  1879  that  we  felt  we  were  pilgrims  and 
strangers,  for  when  not  in  meetings  we  were  going 
on  the  road  to  or  from  some  meeting,  or  to  attend  a 
funeral,  and  mourn  with  those  who  mourned,  some- 
times traveling  until  ten  and  eleven  o'clock  at  night 
to  reach  our  destination,  or  reach  a  place  where  we 
hnew  we  would  be  sure  of  a  welcome  and  could  rest. 
On  a  certain  occasion  we  were  invited  to  attend  a 
** Birthday  Dinner,"  and  as  we  resided  twenty  or 
more  miles  away,  and  we  had  to  go  by  private  con- 
veyance, we  started  the  evening  before  the  dinner 
was  to  occur.  It  was  eight  o'clock  when  we  arrived, 
and  dark.  We,  of  course  thought,  as  we  were  '^old 
friends,"  we  would  be  welcome  to  remain  all  night 
with  them,  and  so  we  would  have  been  on  ordinary 
occasions,  but  we  were  informed  that  all  the  spare 
beds  had  just  been  dressed  clean,  and  that  it  would 
not  be  convenient  for  us  to  remain  over  night,  as  it 
would  be  too  much  extra  work  to  remake  the  beds  in 
the  morning  when  they  were  so  busy;  so  we  turned 
away  to  seek  another  place  for  the  night.  I  call  to 
mind  after  having  gotten  fairly  started  we  halted  in 


A  True  Friend,  249 

the  road,  and  held  a  consultation  as  to  where  we  had 
better  go,  and  after  carefully  considering  a  number 
of  Friends'  homes  we  decided  to  go  to  a  tried 
Friend,  Edward  and  Alice  Walton's,  where 
we  had  always  been  received.  We  arrived 
late,  and  although  they  had  retired,  they  gladly 
received  us.  It  was  nearly  midnight  before  we  got  to 
our  room,  for  our  friends  must  have  a  social  talk 
with  us,  as  we  had  not  been  there  in  a  long  time.  We 
were  soon  in  the  land  of  dreams  and  were  awakened 
in  the  morning  to  an  early  breakfast  and  went  back 
to  attend  the  ''Birthday  Dinner,"  but  we  thought 
more  about  the  miles  we  had  to  travel  twice  over  in 
order  to  get  a  place  to  sleep,  when  there  were  so  many 
good  beds  at  the  house  where  the  dinner  was  to  be 
served,  than  the  turkey  and  the  dinner.  '^Old  Time 
Hospitality^'  breathes  a  real  genuine  welcome  in  fact 
as  well  as  in  word. 

We  had  been  looking  for  a  house  somewhere  in 
the  limits  of  Miami  Quarterly  Meeting,  and  finally 
we  rented  a  house  in  Jamestown,  Ohio,  it  being  as 
nearly  central  as  any  that  we  could  get  for  our  work. 
Here  we  shipped  our  household  goods,  and  after  a 
year's  wandering  from  one  meeting  to  another,  and 
staying  all  night  once  in  a  place,  and  then  going  on 
to  the  next  meeting,  or  series  of  meetings,  we  again 
commenced  housekeeping,  and  had  a  place  where  we 
were  always  welcome  to  remain  all  night  so  long  as 
we  could  pay  the  rent,  and  where  we  could  eat  our 
bread  with  thanksgiving  without  anyone  to  hinder  or 
criticize. 

Only  those  who  have  been  situated  as.  we  had  for 
the  past  year  can  imderstand  the  sense  of  relief  we 
felt  when  we  had  gotten  again  into  our  own  home 
and  could  tell  the  children  to  come  home  and  they 
could  be  with  us  then.    ' '  Home,  Sweet,  Sweet  Home. " 


250  Preaching  Jesus. 

Meclianicshurg ,  Ohio. 

Mechanicsburg  is  a  town  of  some  three  or  four 
thousand  inhabitants,  about  twenty-five  miles  from 
Dayton.  We  commenced  our  series  of  meetings  here 
in  the  M.  E.  Church  on  January  28th,  1880,  Brother 
F.  M.  Clemens,  pastor. 

The  meetings  from  the  commencement  were  of 
very  great  interest,  which  continued  to  increase  from 
day  to  day  until  the  throngs  became  so  great  that  the 
house  would  not  accommodate  the  people.  By  the 
14th  of  February  we  were  in  the  midst  of  a  most 
gracious  revival.  There  had  been  some  schism,  in 
the  membership  on  the  subject  of  ^'Sanctification,'* 
but  the  breach  was  soon  healed,  and  the  church  dedi- 
cated themselves  to  the  Lord  in  earnest  work,  and 
the  contention  with  regard  to  the  word  **Sanctifica- 
tion"  ceased,  and  the  church  was  filled  with  the 
spirit,  and  God  wonderfully  blessed  them  in  bringing 
souls  to  Christ. 

When  people  get  filled  with  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  they  have  little  time  for  discussion  of  fine  theo- 
logical points,  but  they  preach  Jesus  as  the  imme- 
diate and  all  sufficient  Saviour  from  sin,  and  that  He 
has  power  to  cleanse  and  keep  us  clean.  I  copy  here 
an  article  entitled  *' Communicated.'''' 

''Nathan  and  Esther  Frame  at  the  M.  E.  Church.'* 

**  These  distinguished  evangelists  have  now  com- 
pleted two  weeks  labor  at  the  M.  E.  Church  in  our 
town.  From  their  coming  until  the  present  vast 
crowds  filled  the  large  church  to  its  utmost  capacity, 
while  many  have  been  turned  away  unable  to  gain 
admittance.  There  have  been  many  conversions  and 
additions  to  the  church,  while  at  the  same  time  a  gen- 
eral waking  up  among  the  members  whose  experience 


Triumph  of  Grace.  251 

lias  not  been  satisfactory,  and  they  are  now  found  at 
the  altar  seeking  for  a  clear  and  definite  knowledge 
of  sins  forgiven,  while  many  are  pressing  forward  to 
know  the  fullness  of  salvation.  The  indications  at 
the  present  time  are  that  a  most  wonderful  revival  is 
in  progress.  The  Bible  readings  and  sermons  of 
Brother  Frame  are  full  of  power  and  instruction. 
He  seems  to  have  a  most  remarkable  talent  for  Scrip- 
ture exposition.  The  sermons  of  our  dear  Sister 
Esther  Frame  are  beautiful  beyond  description  and 
full  of  unction  and  power." 

One  afternoon  a  young  lady  sent  for  us  to  come 
and  see  her;  she  was  dying  with  consumption. 
When  we  entered  her  room  her  face  was  radiant  with 
happiness,  and  there  was  a  holy  joy  illuminating  her 
countenance,  as  she  remarked,  *'Dear  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Frame,  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you ;  you  do  not  remember 
me,  but  I  was  converted  at  your  meeting  in  London, 
Ohio,  more  than  six  years  ago;  now  I  am  dying  of 
consumption  and  I  shall  soon  be  at  rest  in  the  beau- 
tiful city  of  which  we  used  to  sing.  I  am  so  glad  to 
see  you  once  more  and  tell  you  that  you  are  the  ones 
who  brought  me  to  Christ.    May  God  bless  you." 

How  blessed  to  remember  that  ^'They  that  turn 
many  to  righteousness  shall  shine  as  the  stars  of  the 
firmament,  forever  and  ever." 

Cardington,  Morrow  County,  Ohio. 

March  8th,  1880,  we  held  some  meetings  in  Card- 
ington in  the  Protestant  Methodist  Church. 

In  going  from  our  place  of  entertainment  to 
meeting  we  passed  by  a  cigar  stand  and  observed  a 
number  of  the  professors  of  Christianity  purchasing 
their  cigars  on  the  Sabbath,  apparently  thinking  it 
aU  right,  and  the  meeting-house  was  often  filled  with 


252  Preacher  Abandons  Tobacco. 

the  fumes  of  tobacco,  and  behind  the  pulpit,  where 
the  preacher  stood,  was  a  great  spitton  with  its  re- 
volting surroundings  of  tobacco  filth. 

This,  with  the  fact  that  so  many  professors  used 
tobacco,  and  purchased  their  cigars  on  Sabbath,  gave 
Esther  the  spirit  of  prayer  for  them,  and  one  Sab- 
bath, when  the  house  was  full,  she  made  a  special 
prayer  for  the  tobacco  users.  She  told  the  Lord  that 
many  professors  were  violating  the  Sabbath  by  pur- 
chasing their  cigars  on  His  holy  day  and  spending 
their  money  in  this  useless  indulgence  and  how  dis- 
agreeable it  made  the  meeting-house  for  clean  people. 
This  made  quite  a  sensation  on  the  tobacco  question. 
"When  the  meeting  had  concluded  the  minister  in 
charge  came  to  Esther  and  said,  *' Madam,  I  was 
never  so  ashamed  in  my  life.  I  could  not  have 
blamed  you  had  you  said  'Lord,  here  is  a  Methodist 
preacher,  and  he  smokes  and  chews.'  Madam,  here 
is  a  cigar  case,  with  one  cigar  in  it ;  these  cigars  cost 
fifty  dollars  a  thousand.  I  will  never  smoke  again ; 
keep  this  cigar  case  and  tell  the  people  you  prayed  it 
away  from  a  preacher." 

And  so  God  blessed  this  public  prayer  to  the 
cleansing  of  this  minister  from  this  filthy  habit  and 
his  bad  example  among  his  flock. 

We  held  some  meetings  in  the  country  near 
Cardington  in  Friends  meeting-houses.  There  was 
a  prominent  member  of  the  Methodist  church  who 
became  much  interested  in  us  and  went  with  us  to  the 
meetings  in  the  country.  One  day  while  he  and  we 
were  dining  at  a  Friends  house  he  asked  us  for  a  pri- 
vate interview,  and  when  we  were  alone  he  said,  I 
have  something  I  must  tell  you,  and  it  is  this:  the 
Lord  has  impressed  me  for  more  than  a  week  that  I 
must  give  you  a  home.  Then  he  hesitated  and  added, 
**but  I  want  you  to  come  and  live  in  Cardington. 


The  Woman  Preacher.  253 

Now,  if  you  will  come  here  and  live  among  us,  then  I 
will  deed  you  a  good  home." 

We  told  him  we  would  gladly  accept  his  generous 
offer  if  it  would  not  interfere  with  our  gospel  work, 
but  we  could  not  promise  to  make  our  home  in  Card- 
ington  and  remain  unless  the  Lord  made  it  plain  that 
He  wanted  us  there ;  but  we  would  say  this  to  him : 
We  would  promise  that  if  he  gave  it,  it  should  always 
be  kept  as  a  home  for  ourselves,  and  if  we  sold  it  we 
would  put  it  in  a  home  somewhere  else. 

To  this  proposition  he  would  not  agree,  and  soon 
left  off  talking  of  the  home.  We  could  not  accept  his 
offer  on  the  conditions  he  imposed.  We  would  do 
nothing  that  would  interefere  with  our  work  if  we 
never  had  a  home  on  earth. 

From  Cardington  we  went  home  and  held  some 
special  meetings  in  June  at  the  New  Light  Church  in 
Jamestown,  and  these  meetings  appeared  to  be  very 
satisfactory  to  our  home  people.  Following  is  a 
notice  of  them  from  one  of  the  Jamestown  papers : 

^^  Religious, 

**It  is  an  old  saying  that  a  prophet  *is  not  without 
honor,  save  in  his  own  country,'  but  this  is  not  true 
when  applied  to  Jamestown,  judging  as  we  do  by  the 
large  and  appreciative  audiences  that  attended  the 
preaching  of  the  Quaker  evangelists,  Nathan  and 
Esther  Frame.  The  audience  at  the  Christian 
Church  last  Sunday  night  to  hear  this  most  gifted 
lady  preacher  was  large,  and  the  discourse  to  which 
it  listened  was  one  of  power  and  elegance,  full  of 
pathos  and  emotion,  holding  the  people  in  a  trance- 
like stillness,  broken  only  by  their  own  sobs  and  tears, 
moved  by  the  powerful  and  magical  words  of  the 
preacher.  It  has  seldom  been  our  privilege  to  listen 
to  such  a  sermon  as  the  one  we  heard  on  Sabbath 


254  Danville,  Indiana. 

evening,  thougli  we  have  sat  under  the  preacMng  of' 
many  of  the  most  celebrated  divines.  In  the  fore-i 
noon  at  11  o'clock,  Nathan  Frame  preached  on  the 
subject,  *  Shall  Women  Preach?'  His  arguments 
were  all  well  made  and  convicing.  He  chose  for  his 
Bible  quotations  the  hardest  it  contained,  and  in  a 
clear  and  concise  and  eloquent  way  made  his  argu- 
ments convicing.  Mr.  Frame  has  grown  in  favor 
with  our  people;  he  bears  acquaintance  well,  the 
more  he  becomes  known  the  better  he  is  liked,  and 
appreciated.  These  gifted  evangelists  are  an  honor 
to  any  coummnity.^^— Jamestown  Tribune, 

Danville,  Indiana. 

Danville,  Hendricks  County,  Indiana,  November 
29th,  1880.  This  series  of  meetings  was  one  of  very 
great  good  to  the  town  in  which  it  was  held  and  to  the 
county  around  Danville.  This  being  the  county  town 
the  influence  of  the  meetings  reached  more  or  less  the 
people  in  all  parts  of  the  county. 

We  made  our  home  at  William  and  Docia  Woo- 
ton's,  ministers  in  the  Society  of  Friends.  More 
than  one  hundred  professed  conversion ;  the  member- 
ship of  all  the  churches  in  the  town  were  greatly  re- 
vived and  peace  and  harmony  were  established  where 
there  had  been  strife  before.  The  Auditor  and 
County  Treasurer,  who  had  been  professors,  but  were 
backsliders,  were  reclaimed.  Two  young  women, 
Ora  Osborn  and  Lillie  Niger,  who  are  now  mission- 
aries in  Mexico,  were  converted  at  this  series  of  meet- 
ings. 

The  case  of  Lillie  Niger  is  a  very  remarkable 
one.  Her  father  and  mother  were  not  willing  for 
her  to  become  a  Friend,  or  even  to  attend  Friends 
meetings.    She  came  to  us  and  told  of  the  opposition 


Lillie  Niger,  255 

she  was  meeting  with  at  home  and  desired  our  advice. 
We  told  her  that  the  Lord  would  open  the  way  for 
her  if  she  would  tnist  in  him,  and  for  her  not  to  aban- 
don her  Christianity,  but  to  be  kind  and  obedient  to 
her  parents  and  they  would  finally  give  their  consent 
for  her  to  join  the  Friends  if  the  Lord  was  leading 
her  in  that  way ;  and  though  she  received  much  op- 
position from  her  father,  he  consented  for  her  to 
attend  Friends  meetings  in  the  evenings  if  she  would 
be  home  by  8  o'clock,  which  she  did;  and  finally  he 
agreed  that  she  might  go  and  remain  until  the  close 
of  the  meetings ;  and  after  six  months  or  a  year  the 
parents  gave  their  consent  for  her  to  become  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Society  of  Friends. 

It  seems  that  the  missionary  spirit  was  in  her 
mind  from  the  time  of  her  conversion,  and  soon  as 
the  way  opened  for  it,  she  gave  herself  into  the  hands 
of  the  Foreign  Missionary  Committee,  and  now  for 
more  than  four  years  she  has  been  in  Mexico  as  a 
missionary  and  is  doing  a  grand  work  among  the 
poor  Mexicans,  and  so  devoted  is  she  to  her  work  that 
although  opportunity  has  been  offered  for  her  to  re- 
turn home  and  make  a  visit  to  her  parents  and  native 
land,  she  has  not  consented  to  do  so,  fearing  that  the 
work  would  suffer  in  her  temporary  absence  or 
something  might  occur  to  hinder  her  return. 

Cesar s  Creek 

January  4th,  1881,  commenced  a  series  of  meet- 
ings at  Cesars  Creek  meeting-house,  two  and  one- 
half  miles  from  New  Burlington,  Ohio. 

The  work  here  proved  a  great  blessing  to  the 
meeting;  many  were  converted.  There  was  a  Dr. 
Ward,  who  resided  near  the  little  town  of  Harveys- 
burg,  who  for  many  years  had  professed  to  be  an  in- 


256  Cesar s  Creek. 

fidel  and  was  a  scoffer  at  Christianity.  He  seldom 
attended  meeting,  but  lie  came  to  our  meeting  and 
was  soon  interested  and  continued  to  come.  Many 
who  knew  him  were  very  much  surprised,  and  sup- 
posed that  he  came  to  scoff  at  the  meetings,  and  so 
expressed  themselves  to  Esther.  She  told  them  not 
to  be  concerned,  that  the  Lord  was  more  than  a 
master  for  Dr.  Ward. 

One  Sabbath  night,  when  the  meeting-house  was 
densely  packed,  and  Dr.  Ward  was  there,  and  many 
seekers  were  forward  for  prayer,  Esther  said  to  him, 
*'Art  thou  calling  on  the  Lord  Jesus  to  save  thee?'* 
His  reply  was,  ^^Yes,  Madam,  I  am,"  and  that  was  all 
the  conversation  she  had  with  him  at  that  time. 

Soon  after  this  Esther  said  to  Dr.  Ward, ' '  Come, 
Doctor!"  and  he  immediately  came  forward  with 
great  haste,  and,  kneeling  down  among  the  penitents, 
began  to  pray  with  much  earnestness.  Esther  said 
to  him,  "Doctor,  has  thee  received  any  light?" 

''Yes,  a  little,"  was  his  reply.  "Then  tell  it," 
was  Esther's  remark;  and  the  Doctor  said,  "Friends, 
I  have  received  some  light !  Yes,  the  Lord  has  saved 
me.  Praise  the  Lord!  Glory  to  His  name!"  And 
Dr.  Ward,  the  infidel  and  scoffer,  made  that  old  Qua- 
ker meeting-house  ring  with  his  shouts. 

Dr.  Ward's  conversion  caused  a  sensation  in  the 
conummity,  for  he  was  well  known  as  a  scoffer  at  the 
Christian  religion  and  wielded  quite  an  influence 
among  his  many  associates,  and  the  next  evening  his 
infidel  friends  came  to  the  meeting-house  to  hear  Dr. 
Ward  testify  to  the  power  of  saving  grace. 

The  Lord  was  with  us  and  many  more  were 
added  to  the  number  of  the  saved.  People  came  to 
the  meetings  from  Harveysburg,  New  Burlington, 
Spring  Valley,  and  pentecost  was  manifested.  It 
was  a  time  of  peculiar  blessing  to  us,  for  this  was  our 


New  Vienna,  Ohio,  257 

home  meeting,  where  we  had  been  members  now  for 
ten  years,  and  among  the  earnest  workers  in  the 
meeting  were  many  who  had  been  converted  in  the 
first  meetings  we  held  at  New  Burlington  in  the 
spring  of  1870. 

Our  meetings  continued  with  great  interest  until 
January  15th.  A  number  became  members  of  the 
church,  and  many  backsliders  were  reclaimed. 

Cesars  Creek  is  a  very  dear  meeting  to  us, 
where  we  have  so  long  and  so  sweetly  been  associated 
with  the  dear  friends  in  work  for  the  Lord.  From 
this  dear  old  meeting  we  have  for  many  years  gone 
out  into  the  different  fields  to  labor  and  the  Lord  has 
crowned  us  with  success  and  we  have  been  permitted 
to  return  in  peace,  bringing  our  sheaves  with  us,  and 
we  have  always  found  our  dear  home  meeting  glad  to 
welcome  us  back  and  rejoice  with  us  over  the  souls 
won  for  Christ. 

How  many  more  times  we  shall  go  and  return  we 
cannot  tell.  Sometime  the  work  in  which  we  have 
so  many  years  been  engaged  will  be  left  to  others,  and 
we  shall  join  the  company  who  have  already  passed 
on  before.  Again  we  invoke  the  blessing  of  God  to 
rest  graciously  upon  our  dear  old  home  meeting  at 
Cesars  Creek. 

New  Vienna,  Ohio. 

From  Cesars  Creek  we  went  to  New  Vienna, 
Ohio.  Here  we  first  commenced  our  work  in  Ohio 
among  the  Friends  in  1871 ;  and  now  in  1881,  Janu- 
ary 15th,  we  had  come  again  to  preach  the  same  gos- 
pel and  tell  the  same  story  of  Jesus  and  his  love. 

There  had  not  been  a  series  of  meetings  held  in 
Friends'  meeting-house  for  quite  a  time,  and  the  peo- 
ple seemed  hungry  for  the  word  of  life.  The  weather 
was  very  cold  and  stormy,  and  for  a  time  the  meet- 


258  Neiv  Vienna,  Ohio, 

ings  were  small,  but  soon  the  people  began  to  come  in 
from  the  country  and  the  house  was  well  filled;  we 
had  large  and  good  meetings  both  day  and  night. 

We  earnestly  prayed  that  the  Lord  would  give 
us  the  town  for  Christ  and  that  hardened  and  un- 
yielding sinners  might  be  so  convicted  for  their 
sins  that  they  should  be  made  to  cry  aloud  for  mercy. 

The  little  town  of  New  Vienna  had  a  large  num- 
ber of  drinking  places  in  it,  and  there  was  much 
swearing  and  drinking;  many  of  these  attended  the 
meetings  and  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was  upon  them. 

Esther  was  much  wearied  with  continued  work, 
and  one  morning  I  had  gone  to  meeting  and  left  her 
at  our  room  to  rest  a  time  and  then  come  to  the  meet- 
ing. She  said  while  she  was  making  her  toilet  the 
spirit  of  prayer  came  upon  her  and  she  immediately 
ceased  her  toilet  preparations  and  betook  herself  to 
earnest  prayer  to  God  that  He  would  give  us  the 
victory  over  sin,  and  New  Vienna  for  himself,  and 
after  agonizing  in  prayer  with  strong  crjdng  unto 
God  the  sweet  answer  came,  ^'I  have  given  New 
Vienna  into  your  hands. '^  She  arose,  finished  her 
toilet  and  came  to  the  meeting.  The  house  was  filled 
with  people.  There  was  great  solemnity  upon  the 
congregation,  with  that  ominous  kind  of  a  stillness 
of  which  we  are  often  made  conscious  before  the 
breaking  upon  us  of  the  fury  of  the  storm— the  peo- 
ple (all  of  them)  saint  and  sinner,  were  it  seemed  in 
momentary  expectation  of  some  extraordinary  mani- 
festation of  Divine  power.  I  was  leading  the  meet- 
ing and  expounding  some  Scripture.  Esther  had 
entered  the  room  and  sat  down  near  the  door,  when 
all  at  once  she  sprang  to  her  feet  and  exclaimed: 
*'The  Lord  has  given  New  Vienna  into  our  hands,'* 
and  then  with  thrilling  effect  which  electrified  that 
already  convicted  audience,  she  gave  her  experience 


Mary  Ann  Malone 


Awedj  Into  Silence.  259 

in  her  room  in  the  morning  just  before  she  came  to 
the  meeting,  a  little  of  which  I  have  dimly  narrated 
above. 

Near  where  she  stood  a  great  stalwart  man  and 
hardened  sinner  fell  down  on  his  knees  and  cried  out, 
''God  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner."  Then  another  in 
a  different  part  of  the  room,  and  then  some  one  else, 
until  all  over  the  audience  sinners  were  bomng  on 
their  knees,  in  the  pews,  and  in  the  meeting  house 
aisles  pleading  to  God  in  the  name  of  Jesus  for  the 
pardon  of  their  sins— while  the  Christian  people 
were  rejoicing  and  praying  with  the  penitents,  and 
instructing  them  how  to  accept  Christ.  Many  were 
that  day  brought  from  darkness  into  light,  and  from 
the  power  of  Satan  unto  God.  Backsliders  were  re- 
claimed and  renewed  their  covenants  with  the  Lord, 
and  believers  were  sanctified.  The  time,  the  prom- 
ised time  of  refreshing  from  the  Lord  was  upon  us 
in  a  marvelous  manner,  and  the  people  praised  and 
magnified  the  Lord,  and  it  was  after  two  o  'clock  be- 
fore they  departed  to  their  homes.  They  felt  as  the 
saints  did  in  olden  times,  like  continually  praising 
the  Lord. 

From  this  time  on  there  was  a  strange  quietness 
over  the  town,  swearing  entirely  ceased,  many  de- 
serted the  drinking  places,  and  the  principal  topic  of 
conversation  was  on  the  subject  of  religion;  and  the 
wonderful  meetings,  conviction  on  the  sinners  was 
so  great  that  many  were  unfitted  for  business.  One 
day  we  went  into  a  dry  goods  store  and  the  proprie- 
tor began  to  weep  while  showing  Esther  some  goods ; 
his  efforts  to  conceal  his  feelings  were  unavailing, 
and  he  remarked,  "I  am  a  sinner.  I  cannot  think  of 
anjd:hing  but  my  own  condition.  Will  you  excuse 
me  ?"  Esther  pointed  him  to  Christ  as  his  only  hope, 
and  in  a  day  or  two  he  was  converted  and  became  one 


260  Walter  Malone. 

of  the  most  useful  members  of  Friends  meeting  in 
New  Vienna. 

Intense  conviction  extended  to  many  in  the 
country  and  some  were  converted  at  their  homes,  and 
then  came  to  the  meetings  and  gave  their  testimony. 

J.  Walter  Malone,  a  member  of  Friends  Church, 
and  a  backslider  and  a  society  man,  had  come  from 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  to  visit  his  parents.  He  had  just 
begina  a  business  career  with  his  brothers  in  Cleve- 
land, Ohio.  During  the  meetings  he  sent  for  us  to 
come  to  his  mother's  home  and  dine,  and  while  we 
were  there  he  opened  his  mind  to  us,  telling  us  his 
spiritual  condition.  We  prayed  with  him  and  in- 
structed him  as  best  we  could,  and  in  a  few  days  he 
was  restored  from  his  backsliden  state,  and  became 
an  earnest  worker  in  the  meetings.  But  further  ac- 
count will  be  given  of  him  in  another  chapter. 

At  the  close  of  these  series  of  meetings  we  organ- 
ized a  yoimg  people's  meeting.  A  leader  was  ap- 
pointed from  among  the  recent  converts  generally. 
All  the  meetings  were  opened  with  Scriptural  read- 
ing, then  prayer  and  testimony,  experience  and  in- 
vitations to  the  unsaved  to  seek  Christ.  These  young 
people's  meetings  were  entirely  undenominational, 
and  intended  to  give  help  and  encouragement  to  the 
new  converts. 

As  indicating  the  good  effect  of  these  meetings, 
when  visiting  Nashville,  Tennessee,  nineteen  years 
after  we  had  held  a  series  of  meetings  there,  the 
young  people's  meeting  was  still  doing  a  most  blessed 
work. 

New  Vienna,  Ohio. 

I  conclude  the  account  of  this  meeting  with  a 
press  notice  from  the  New  Vienna  Record: 


Press  Notice,  261 


*' Nathan  and  Esther  Frame. 

^*The  series  of  meetings  conducted  by  Nathan 
and  Esther  Frame  is  still  in  progress,  and  after  five 
weeks  the  attendance  is  as  large  as  ever,  and  interest 
greater  than  at  any  former  period.  During  the  past 
week  many  wonderful  changes  have  been  wrought 
among  the  unconverted,  and  the  work  is  still  going 
on  with  imabated  force.  The  effect  on  the  town  and 
community  is  visible  as  the  handwriting  on  the  wall. 

**  Drunkenness  has  almost  disappeared  and  the 
blasphemous  oaths  and  vulgar  jests  which  were  often 
heard  and  corrupted  the  morals  of  both  old  and 
young  have  ceased  and  religion  is  the  topic  of  conver- 
sation. 

**01d  men  and  women,  young  men  and  girls  and 
little  children  have  been  brought  to  the  Saviour  by 
these  devoted  ministers  of  the  Gospel.  The  meeting- 
house is  packed  to  its  utmost  capacity  and  the  most 
profound  attention  is  given  to  the  preaching.  After 
preaching  liberty  is  given  to  any  to  retire  who  desire 
to  do  so,  but  Christians  and  seekers  who  are  willing 
to  remain  for  a  season  of  prayer  are  asked  to  remain. 
A  much  greater  number  have  professed  conversion 
than  at  any  meetings  held  here  for  many  years,  and 
the  moral  effect  on  those  who  have  not  yielded  is 
plainly  visible.  Our  town  has  never  had  so  thorough 
an  awakening  before.  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame 
have  worked  incessantly  through  cold  and  heat,  wet 
and  dry,  day  and  night  during  the  entire  meetings 
that  gave  an  irresistible  force  to  their  appeals  for 
sinners  to  turn  to  God  and  be  saved.  Their  efforts 
have  been  crowned  vdth  great  success,  and  still  the 
good  work  goes  on.  The  meetings  vdll  continue  until 
Sunday  night,  when  the  evangelists  vnll  go  to  Sabina 


262  Sabina,  Ohio. 

to  hold  meetings  there.  New  Vienna  and  vicinity  are 
under  lasting  obligations  to  these  ministers  for  the 
great  good  they  have  done  while  here." 

Sabina,  Ohio,  1881. 

From  New  Vienna  we  went  to  Sabina,  Clinton 
County,  Ohio,  and  held  a  series  of  meetings.  Many 
professed  conversion.  The  Lord  greatly  blessed  the 
work.  Following  is  a  press  notice  from  the  Wil- 
mington Journal: 

*' Again,  through  the  favor  of  kind  Providence 
and  the  ever  guiding  promptings  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
our  village  has  been  blessed  by  the  presence  of  the 
gifted  evangelists,  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame.  To 
say  that  Satan  walked  the  streets,  proud  of  his  sub- 
jects, fearing  no  molestation,  and  that  his  followers 
were  many,  is  too  mild  a  presentation  of  our  con- 
dition when  God's  willing  servants  came  to  us. 

*'But  as  ever  with  them,  *They  came,  they  saw, 
they  conquered,'  in  the  name  of  their  Master,  and 
through  their  united  labor  seventy  souls  were  re- 
claimed and  converted.  It  would  be  difficult  to  limit 
the  appreciation  in  which  these  noble  workers  are 
held,  so  different  in  disposition,  and  expression,  yet 
so  essential  for  the  entire  success  of  each  other. 

**It  is  beyond  the  power  of  mortal  mind  to  resist 
Esther,  the  queen  among  women,  as  she  pleads  with 
her  irresistible  pathos  and  logic  for  Jesus,  for  her 
Master,  hiding  herself  behind  the  cross,  doing  and 
daring  anything  for  the  sake  of  the  truth.  It  is 
equally  so  to  deny  the  honest  assertion  of  Nathan, 
as  with  his  well  poised  mind  he  directs  the  practical 
arrow  of  persuasion  and  unquestionable  evidence 
that  there  is  but  one  God,  one  salvation,  the  poetry 
of  his  soul  rounding  and  beautifying  each  sentence, 
putting  solid  facts  and  bright  fancies  together.    Such 


Many  Saved.  263 

culture  and  power  of  intellect  as  they  possess  is  rare 
indeed,  and  there  is  but  one  class  that  it  is  difficult 
for  them  to  reach— those  who  possess  masterly  ani- 
mal natures— unsubdued  and  untrained  by  a  cultured 
mind,  with  little  power  to  grasp  the  bright  promises 
they  so  willingly  and  sweetly  present. 

**From  many  homes  in  Sabina  the  cry  has  gone 
up  to  ^Our  Father,'  'Bless  and  keep  from  all  harm 
Nathan  and  Esther  Frame,'  each  heart  feeling  that 
*  whatsoever  ye  ask  in  my  name,  that  will  I  do,  that 
the  Father  may  be  glorified  in  the  Son.'  '* 

We  had  been  constantly  holding  series  of  meet- 
ings since  November  25th,  1880,  and  now  it  was  the 
15th  of  March,  1881,  about  five  months,  night  and 
day,  beside  making  many  family  visits  and  receiving 
hundreds  of  personal  calls  and  answering  our  corre- 
spondence. We  made  it  a  point  to  answer  all  who 
wrote  us,  and  they  were  many.  The  letters  addressed 
on  religious  subjects  required  long  letters  often.  I 
usually  answered  letters  at  night,  after  returning 
from  our  meetings,  and  usually  it  took  me  until  mid- 
night. Many  of  these  letters  were  for  arranging  the 
details  for  our  work  for  meetings,  and  required  care. 

Springhoro,  Ohio. 

We  went  home  to  Jamestown  from  Sabina  and 
remained  a  day  or  two,  and  on  April  11th  commenced 
a  meeting  at  Springboro,  Ohio,  an  old  Friends  meet- 
ing. This  is  a  meeting  belonging  to  Miami  Quarterly 
Meeting,  and  four  or  five  miles  from  Waynesville. 

There  was  much  infidelity  and  skepticism  in 
the  community,  the  lingering  seeds  of  the  Hicksite 
heresy,  that  wrought  such  ruin  among  Friends  many 
years  ago.  Hicksites  were  Unitarians,  wearing  the 
Quaker  dress,  and  calling  themselves  Friends,  many 


264  Springhoro,  Ohio. 

of  them  most  excellent  citizens,  but  denying  Christ  as 
their  Saviour,  and  trusting  in  their  own  righteous- 
ness for  salvation,  and  yet  doing  no  more,  and  in 
many  instances  not  nearly  so  much  for  the  good  of 
their  fellow  men,  as  the  followers  of  the  meek  and 
lowly  Nazarine,  who  depend  entirely  on  him  for  their 
salvation. 

The  meetings  here  became  of  so  much  interest 
that  the  little  Quaker  meeting-house  would  not  hold 
the  people,  so  we  occupied  the  United  Brethren 
house,  as  the  pastor  had  kindly  offered  us  the  use  of 
it.  A  good  many  young  people  belonging  to  infidel 
families  were  converted,  among  whom  were  some 
very  bright  and  cultivated  young  women. 

One  night,  when  the  house  was  filled  and  many 
infidels  were  present,  some  eight  or  ten  of  these 
young  women  came  to  the  seekers  bench  for  prayers, 
and  it  seemed  they  could  not  be  made  to  understand 
how  to  accept  Christ,  and  when  the  usual  time  for 
dismissing  the  audience  came  and  these  penitents 
were  yet  unconverted,  Esther  said,  '*  Friends,  all  who 
desire  to  go  home  can  do  so ;  we  intend  to  remain  with 
these  dear  girls  until  they  are  converted,  and  I  want 
all  the  Christians  who  are  here  and  believe  that 
Christ  will  convert  them  tonight  to  come  around 
them,  and  let  us  pray  for  them,  and  all  who  cannot 
now  thus  accept  the  promise  of  God  for  the  conver- 
sion of  these  souls,  please  remain  at  your  seats." 

There  were  only  five  or  six  Christians  besides 
ourselves  who  came.  We  remained  in  prayer  with 
them  until  after  nine  o'clock,  and  then  Esther  again 
said  to  the  audience  who  remained,  ''Go  home  if  you 
desire  to  go.  We  are  trusting  Christ  to  save  these 
girls  tonight."  Not  one  of  the  audience  made  any 
effort  to  go  home,  and  again  we  engaged  in  prayer 
with  the  seekers.    The  hour  of  11  o'clock  had  arrived 


Answer  to  Prayer,  265 

when  one  of  the  girls,  whose  parents  were  infidels, 
and  all  her  family  back  for  three  or  four  generations 
had  rejected  Christ  as  a  Saviour,  sprang  to  her  feet 
and  exclaimed,  "I  know  that  Jesus  can  save,  for  He 
has  saved  me  and  forgiven  all  my  sins,  and  I  know 
it."  And  while  she  was  giving  her  testimony,  to  the 
astonishment  of  her  infidel  friends  present,  another 
of  the  girls  arose  and  testified  that  she  was  saved 
and  her  sins  were  forgiven;  and  then  another,  and 
another,  imtil  all  of  them  had  found  peace  and  par- 
don through  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Two  of  the  girls  converted  at  this  time  had  been 
taught  that  there  was  no  God ;  but  in  their  course  in 
the  academy  they  learned  that  there  was  design  in  all 
things,  and  so  came  to  the  conclusion  that  there  must 
be  a  design,  where  there  was  design,  and  then  be- 
lieved in  a  God.  Now  they  not  only  believed  in  God, 
but  believed  in  His  only  begotten  Son. 

At  Home,  Jamestown,  Ohio. 

We  closed  our  meetings  at  Springboro  April 
26th  and  went  home  to  Jamestown,  Ohio,  but  at- 
tended and  held  meetings  at  a  number  of  places. 
Sabbath,  May  22d,  at  CenterviHe,  Ohio;  May  28th, 
at  Muncie,  Indiana;  Saturday  and  Sabbath,  June 
4th  and  5th,  held  a  two  days'  meeting  at  Joseph 
Brotherton's  barn,  near  Cedar^dlle,  Ohio,  the  same 
place  we  mentioned  holding  meetings  in  a  barn  at 
another  time. 

On  June  28th  we  left  Jamestown  and  went  to 
Minneapolis,  Minnesota,  and  held  a  few  meetings 
with  Friends  and  had  some  blessed  meetings  on  the 
streets  of  Minneapolis,  near  Bridge  Square,  where 
hundreds  of  people  heard  the  Gospel  who  seldom 
went  into  a  meeting-house. 


266 


Londonderry,  Ohio, 


We  returned  from  Minneapolis  in  time  for  In- 
diana yearly,  which  we  attended,  and  then  went  home 
to  Jamestown,  Ohio. 

We  put  our  home  in  order  as  best  we  could  and 
arranged  for  our  children  to  attend  school.  Though 
we  held  no  regular  series  of  meetings  during  the 
summer  most  of  our  time  was  employed  attending 
or  holding  meetings,  and  we  could  say— 

"We  love  thy  church,  O  God ! 

The  house  of  thine  abode — 

The  church  the  blessed  Redeemer  saved, 

With  His  own  precious  blood." 


Londonderry,  Ohio, 

November  5th,  1881,  we  went  again  to  London- 
derry, Ross  Coimty,  Ohio,  the  place  where  we  had 
visited  in  the  fall  of  1870,  in  connection  with  a  com- 
mittee of  Fairfield  Quarterly  Meeting.  We  held 
meetings  twice  a  day,  as  usual,  until  November  25th, 
and  a  most  gracious  revival  was  the  result.  This  field 
had  been  much  neglected  since  the  establishment  of 
the  Friends  meeting  there.  It  is  true  they  had  been 
visited  occasionally  by  ministers  and  conunittees  ap- 
pointed for  the  work  of  "help  and  encouragement  for 
*our  new  meetings'  and  members,"  but  they  had 
often  been  left  without  any  one  who  was  "grown" 
enough  in  the  truth  to  do  them  any  good,  and  so  they 
were  scattered  by  the  enemy. 

The  Lord  wonderfully  blessed  us  and  many  were 
converted. 

On  the  25th  of  November  we  returned  home,  but 
only  remained  there  two  days;  then,  at  the  very 
urgent  appeals  of  the  people  returned  to  Londonderry 
and  continued  the  meetings  until  December  8th.  We 
here  insert  a  letter  that  we  wrote  to  Daniel  Hill,  giv- 


Letter  to  Daniel  Hill.  267 

ing  an  account  of  this  meeting  in  part.     This  letter 
was  written  December  14th,  and  reads  as  follows : 

**  Jamestown,  Ohio,  December  14th,  1881. 
'^Daniel  Hill, 

** Esteemed  Friend:  The  meetings  held  by  us  at 
Londonderry  were  from  the  first  well  attended  by  an 
eager,  anxious  multitude,  who  gave  unmistakable 
evidence  that  they  were  hungering  for  the  bread  of 
life.  One  hundred  and  six  gave  testimony  to  the  fact 
of  conversion,  claiming  justification  by  faith  through 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  A  large  nmnber  of  these, 
already  mernbers  of  the  church,  declared  they 
had  never  known  anything  of  Christ  experimentally. 
Twenty-one  gave  their  names  to  become  members. 

"This  meeting  is  in  great  need  of  a  resident  min- 
ister, that  they  may  have  someone  capable  of  preach- 
ing the  Gospel  to  them.  There  has  been  no  regular 
meeting  kept  up  for  the  past  two  years  and  they  have 
had  preaching  only  when  some  itinerant  Friend  came 
that  way  and  appointed  a  meeting  for  them. ' ' 

Jamestoivn,  Ohio,  December  loth,  1881. 

On  December  15th,  1881,  we  began  a  series  of 
meetings  at  Jamestown,  Ohio.  Friends  had  no  meet- 
ing-house here.  Our  meetings  were  held  in  what  was 
called  **The  New  Light  Meeting  House,''  it  being 
kindly  offered  us  by  the  trustees. 

The  weather  was  very  stormy  and  we  were  ad- 
Vised  not  to  commence  meetings  until  after  the  holi- 
days, as  the  people  would  not  attend  on  account  of 
the  storm  and  being  so  near  Christmas,  as  the  Christ- 
mas festivities  would  keep  many  away.  But  we  told 
the  Friends  now  was  the  Lord's  time,  and  we  com- 
menced our  meetings,  and  neither  rain  or  snow  or 


268  Shout  of  Children. 

storm  or  Christmas  festivities  hindered  the  people 
from  coming. 

The  house  was  crowded  nightly  and  filled  in  the 
day  time.  Most  all  the  Christian  people  in  the  town 
joined  in  the  meetings  and  many  of  them  were 
greatly  blessed. 

In  the  meetings  people  prayed  with  a  fervency 
and  worked  mth  a  zeal  that  clearly  demonstrated 
that  God  was  with  them.  There  was  a  blending  of 
the  hearts  of  the  people  together  and  their  particular 
creed  and  church  names  were  forgotten  in  the  great 
work  of  saving  men  from  sin  and  bringing  them  to 
Christ. 

The  children  from  ten  to  fourteen  years  old  and 
the  young  men  and  women  occupied  the  side  slips  on 
the  right  and  left  of  the  pulpit  and  did  much  of  the 
singing,  and  one  night  while  Esther  was  preaching, 
some  one  among  the  children  began  to  shout  and 
praise  the  Lord,  and  in  a  little  time  more  than  a 
dozen  of  them  began  to  shout  aloud  the  praises  of 
Jesus,  who  had  saved  them,  for  these  children  had 
been  converted  during  the  meetings. 

Esther  immediately  ceased  her  sermon  and  sat 
down,  for  it  was  evident  to  all  that  the  Spirit  of  the 
Highest  had  fallen  upon  them,  and  out  of  their 
mouths  God  was  perfecting  praise  and  ordaining 
strength. 

All  that  audience  sat  quietly  and  listened  while 
the  children  cried  Hosannah,  and  uttered  in  their 
way  the  words  "Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord." 

Many  in  that  audience  wept  for  joy  and  many 
sinners  were  convicted  of  their  sins  and  went  from 
that  meeting  determined  to  be  Christians. 

We  invited  penitents  forward  for  prayer  when 


Meetings  at  Jamestotvn,  Ohio.  269 

the  children  had  calmed  down  in  their  demonstra- 
tions and  a  large  number  came. 

The  meetings  in  the  day  time  filled  the  house; 
there  was  little  preaching,  but  the  meetings  were 
given  to  prayer,  praise  and  testimony,  and  for  seek- 
ers and  the  power  of  the  Lord  was  over  all.  There 
was  no  confusion.  One  day  there  was  nearly  an  all 
day  meeting,  not  by  appointment,  but  by  the  spirit  of 
the  Lord  among  the  people.  The  meeting  was  dis- 
missed near  one  o  ^clock,  but  the  people  would  not  go 
home,  except  a  few— and  then,  when  they  had  eaten 
their  dinner,  they  woiild  return,  and  a  few  more 
would  go  home,  and  so  the  meeting  continued  untU 
near  five  o'clock— then  by  half  past  six  o'clock  the 
house  was  filled  again,  and  hundreds  went  away. 
Every  saloon  in  the  village  was  closed  for  want  of 
customers,  except  one,  and  the  saloonist  hired  a  man 
to  come  and  play  billiards  with  him  in  order  to  say 
that  he  kept  his  saloon  running.  There  was  convic- 
tion upon  the  unsaved  for  many  miles  in  the  coun- 
try. As  many  as  two  hundred  professed  to  be  con- 
verted and  many  joined  the  churches. 

A  few  gave  their  names  for  Friends'  church, 
and  more  than  forty  told  us  they  would  join  us  if  we 
had  our  meeting  house  in  the  town.  It  is  often  asked 
if  all  who  make  profession  in  these  great  revival 
meetings  remain  steadfast.  We  answer  *' no."  Some 
do  not,  but  a  large  majority  do— and  out  of  and  from 
these  great  revivals  come  the  men  and  women  who 
are  to  be  the  future  missionaries— the  ministers,  the 
Evangelists,  Sabbath  school  teachers  and  active, 
spiritual  church  workers. 

And  while  all  sinners  are  not  saved,  and  wicked- 
ness may  still  exist,  Christianity  receives  such  an 
impetus  that  the  whole  community  is  made  better. 


270  Our  Home  Town, 

This  meeting  made  it  so  plain  to  Friends  that 
we  needed  a  meetinghouse  in  Jamestown  that  during 
the  following  summer  measures  were  taken  to  build 
in  the  village. 

And  now  there  is  a  good  meetinghouse  belong- 
ing to  Friends  in  Jamestown.  During  these  meet- 
ings all  the  business  houses  closed  the  time  the  meet- 
ings were  in  session.  Many  times  the  throngs  of  peo- 
ple were  so  great  that  hundreds  were  turned  away  for 
want  of  room. 

Jamestown,  Ohio,  Decemher,  1881. 

The  Evangelists  are  Still  Holding  the  Fort.    The 
Outlook  as  Seen  to  the  Outside  *' World.'' 

From  the  Jamestown  Tribune,  1881. 

The  many  friends  of  the  Evangelists,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Frame,  will,  no  doubt,  be  glad  to  learn  that  they 
are  still  actively  engaged  in  the  good  work  in  James- 
town, Ohio.  The  past  seven  weeks  will  be  memor- 
able ones  to  a  great  many  people  here. 

The  meetings  they  have  been  holding  have  been  a 
great  help  in  lifting  a  great  many  people  from  the 
mire,  and  the  clay,  and  placing  them  on  a  firm  foun- 
dation. Beside  the  good  that  has  been  done  relig- 
iously to  the  town,  the  people  have  improved  socially. 

People  who  moved  sluggishly  through  the  world, 
have  been  awakened  to  the  fact  that  they  have  a  '*soul 
to  save,"  and  their  minds  are  surely,  but  slowly, 
grasping  after  something  higher  and  holier  than  they 
have  yet  obtained,  and  they  now  have  an  ambition  to 
make  for  themselves  a  name  that  shall  be  honored 
and  esteemed  both  in  the  social  and  religious  world. 


Home    of  Nathan    and    Esther    Frame,    From    1881 
Until  1902,    (Jamestown,    Ohio.) 


Effect  on  Community.  271 

In  an  article  about  two  weeks  ago  we  spoke  of 
changes  made  in  saloon  loafers.  Although  the  change 
in  them  has  been  most  wonderful,  they  cannot  by  any 
means  eclipse  the  young  in  their  advancement.  In 
the  young  we  see  the  hope  of  the  country. 

Jamestown,  Ohio,  1881  and  1882. 

About  seven  weeks  ago  what  could  the  people  of 
Jamestown  see  in  the  rising  generation.  Nothing, 
simply  nothing.  Yet  now  they  bid  fair  to  become 
useful  members  of  society;  the  majority,  if  not  all, 
have  been  gloriously  converted,  and  with  their  con- 
version have  arisen  hope  and  inspiration,  which  if 
not  entirely  realized,  will  eventually,  both  from  a 
religious  and  moral  standpoint,  make  their  influence 
felt  for  good  wherever  God's  infinite  wisdom  may 
place  them. 

But  the  influence  of  these  meetings  is  not  con- 
fined to  the  young  alone.  The  middle  aged  and  the 
old  have  been  taking  an  active  part,  and  to  them  a 
new  field  of  labor  is  opened,  which  they  never  knew 
before. 

Their  duties  as  Christians  have  become  para- 
mount. Family  altars  have  been  erected,  which  if 
thought  of  seven  weeks  ago,  they  would  have  scoffed 
at  such  things. 

No  person,  no  difference  how  unchristian  they 
may  be,  can  fail  to  see  that  the  meetings  have  been 
productive  of  great  good,  in  proof  of  which  can  be 
seen  the  lives  now  lived  by  the  more  than  two  hun- 
dred persons  recently  converted.  It  is  true,  we  look 
at  the  good  these  meetings  are  doing  from  a  moral 
standpoint.  And  if  so  much  can  be  seen  morally,  the 
converted  certainly  have  great  cause  for  rejoicing— 
Jamestown  Tribune. 


272  Portland,  Indiana. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

(1882) 
Portland,  Indiana, 

Portland  is  the  county  seat  of  Jay  Co.,  Indiana. 
We  had  been  urgently  solicited  many  times  to  go 
there  and  hold  some  meetings;  but  the  way  never 
seemed  to  open  imtil  now;  only  a  few  Friends  were 
in  or  lived  near  Portland,  there  was  no  organization 
there  of  our  church,  and  we  did  not  have  a  meeting- 
house of  our  own;  there  was  a  hall  on  Main  street 
that  was  used  as  a  town  hall.  We  had  been  promised 
this  hall,  in  which  to  hold  our  meetings,  and  com- 
menced them  there.  From  the  first  meeting  there  was 
great  interest  manifested  by  many  prominent  peo- 
ple, who  were  not  much  in  the  habit  of  attending  re- 
ligious meetings;  there  were  also  members  of 
churches  from  all  the  meetings  in  the  town  who  came 
and  took  a  very  great  interest,  and  some  of  them 
assisted  in  the  work.  The  man  who  owned  the  haU 
attended,  until  he  found  that  we  preached  that  peo- 
ple could  know  now,  that  they  were  saved,  and  the 
Spirit  of  God  bore  witness  to  this  fact  to  all  who  had 
really  been  born  of  God. 

Then  he  left  off  attending  the  meetings  and  soon 
notified  us  that  we  could  not  have  the  hall  in  which 
to  hold  our  meetings ;  though  he  had  promised  it  to 
us  as  long  as  we  wanted  it.  But  the  Lord  opened  the 
way;  Brother  Parrott,  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  Church, 
came  and  offered  us  the  Methodist  meetinghouse  to 
hold  our  meetings  in,  and  said,  *'You  Friends  need 
not  be  at  any  expense  in  lighting,  or  warming  the 
house,  we  will  do  that,  and  you  can  take  entire  charge 
of  the  meetings,  and  conduct  them  in  your  own  way 


Skeptics  Saved.  273 

—and  I  will  assist  you  in  any  way  that  I  can,  and 
my  people  will  unite  heartily  with  you  in  the  work. 
And  truly  we  did  find  a  most  cordial  welcome,  and 
assistant  with  these  dear  people  and  their  pastor, 
Brother  Parrott. 

The  Lord  from  this  time  forward  visited  Port- 
land in  a  marvelous  manner,  we  could  not  find  room 
for  half  the  people  who  desired  to  attend  the  meet- 
ings—conviction spread  through  the  town  and  for 
many  miles  out  in  the  surrounding  country.  But  I 
can  give  as  clear  an  idea  of  the  effect  of  these  meet- 
ings on  the  community  by  presenting  here  some  re- 
ports of  the  meetings  clipped  from  the  newspapers 
at  the  time. 

^^Portland  Church  Revival/* 

'*As  has  been  noted  in  your  columns  weekly  for 
the  past  six  or  seven  weeks,  there  has  been  a  great 
awakening  of  Portland,  and  surrounding  country, 
upon  religious  topics;  and  a  grand  revival,  such  as 
Portland  never  before  witnessed,  conducted  by  Na- 
than and  Esther  Frame,  the  noted  Quaker  Evangel- 
ists of  Jamestown,  Ohio,  and  are  well  known  work- 
ers for  Christ  for  many  years  past. 

**They  have  by  their  earnest  manner  of  present- 
ing the  truth,  caused  many  to  call  a  halt  on  their  past 
life,  and  turn  about  and  face  toward  the  eternal  city. 
About  two  himdred  persons  were  converted  during 
their  meetings  here,  and  strange  to  state,  a  number 
among  them  are  those  who  for  many  years  professed 
to  be  and  have  been  considered  rock-ribbed  infidels. 
Some  of  them  were  not  known  as  bad  men  morally, 
but  they  became  skeptical  through  reading  infidel 
works,  and  failed  to  believe  anything  they  did  not 
understand,  but  since  they  have  been  converted  to 
the  religion  of  Christ,  they  say  that  skepticism  is  an 
^gg  of  conceit,  a  system  of  tearing  down  and  destroy- 


274  The  Word  of  the  Lord. 

ing,  a  negative  that  gives  nothing  in  return,  and 
leaves  a  continual  craving  of  the  mental  faculties  for 
more  knowledge;  and  this  craving  never  ceases.  It 
is  to  the  skeptic,  what  the  defeire  of  the  habitual 
drinker  is,  to  the  drunkard— one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant features  of  the  work  is  the  conversion  of  so 
many  infidels,  and  they  have  renounced  their  infidel- 
ity. 

''A  number  of  persons  who  have  membership 
with  the  churches  for  many  years,  have  declared  they 
never  were  converted  before  these  meetings  began. 

"Some  who  have  been  members  for  thirty  years, 
declare  they  have  more  enjoyment  in  one  day  now 
than  during  their  whole  lifetime. 

*'Some  have  told  us  they  went  forward  to  the 
altar  for  an  experiment,  and  many  for  fun,  but  the 
power  of  the  religious  persons  in  prayer  overcame 
them,  and  they  were  convicted  for  their  sins,  and  in 
nearly  every  instance  they  have  been  converted,  and 
gave  their  testimony  for  the  truth  and  unity  of  the 
Christian  religion. 

"One  of  the  most  important  factors  in  the  re- 
vival is,  so  many  persons  who  have  been  identified 
with  infidelity,  have  placed  themselves  squarely  on 
record  for  Christianity. 

"The  entire  battle  ground  over  which  the 
churches  have  been  traveling  since  these  meetings 
commenced,  are  stre'v\Ti  with  wrecks  of  skepticism, 
infidelity,  rationalism,  and  freethinkers ;  in  conjunc- 
tion with  Christian  triumphs  in  the  imperishable 
monuments  of  many  hearts  and  homes  where  sorrow 
and  despair  formerly  reigned. 

"In  the  great  meeting  time  on  the  other  shore, 
where  human  destinies  are  forever  settled,  many 
people  will  travel  through  memory  far  back  to  these 
meetings ;  as  time  bears  us  on  to  the  'house  appointed 
for  all  the  living,'  we  will  look  with  peculiar  signifi- 


Portland,  Indiana.  275 

cance  and  pleasure  to  this  time.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame 
have  done  a  great  work  for  Portland,  and  have 
warmed  the  hearts  of  our  people,  who  long  will  re- 
member them  with  the  greatest  love.  The  meetings 
have  closed,  and  they  have  returned  to  their  home. 
Before  they  went  they  organized  a  Friends  meeting. 
We  congratulate  them  and  rejoice  that  they  organ- 
ized with  so  many  good  members.  We  wish  our 
friends,  the  Frames,  a  happy  time  during  their  future 
struggles  for  the  immortal  interests  of  mankind.'^ 
There  was  a  very  remarkable  circumstance  occurred 
during  the  meetings  that  we  have  not  mentioned  and 
which  may  be  denominated— "" A  Modern  Miracle'': 
*'H.  T.  Steffy,  a  citizen  well  and  favorably  known  by 
nearly  all  the  citizens  of  Portland,  was  a  number  of 
months  ago  stricken  with  Paralysis,  and  had  appar- 
ently nearly  recovered ;  but  a  few  weeks  later  he  was 
stricken  again,  and  more  severely  than  at  first,  since 
which  time  he  has  not  been  able  to  walk  or  leave  the 
house,  only  by  using  crutches  he  has  slowly  hobbled 
about  the  house  a  little.  Mr.  Steffy  is  a  Christian 
man,  and  having  great  confidence  in  God,  through 
prayer,  he  induced  his  family  and  some  of  his  Chris- 
tian friends  to  have  him  taken  in  a  carriage  to  the 
meetings  that  were  being  held  by  Nathan  and  Esther 
Frame  in  our  town.  He  was  assisted  into  the  church 
and  placed  where  he  could  be  free  and  no  one  should 
come  in  contact  with  his  paralyzed  limb,  which  was 
very  painful  and  sensitive.  He  had  asked  the  pray- 
ers of  the  church;  and  after  preaching,  and  many 
seekers  for  conversion  had  come  forward,  and  some 
of  them  had  been  converted,  and  special  prayer  had 
been  made  for  Mr.  Steffy  that  if  it  was  the  Lord's 
will  he  might  be  healed  of  his  paralysis ;  he  was,  to 
the  astonishment  of  several  hundred  people,  instan- 
taneously made  whole,  and  sprang  to  his  feet,  and 
went  through  the  house  shaking  hands  with  nearly 


276  Healed  of  Paralysis, 

every  person  in  the  audience,  praising  God  for  his 
wonderful  healing.  Dr.  Moon,  his  attending  phys- 
ician, who  is  much  of  a  skeptic  himself,  was  present, 
and  when  opportunity  offered,  said:  *I  am  Mr. 
Steffy's  physician  and  know  that  he  had  paralysis, 
and  was  in  a  very  critical  condition,  and  that  shrink- 
age of  the  muscle  had  already  set  in,  and  that  this 
peculiar  condition  is  never  cured  only  by  slow  and 
long  process— and  in  most  cases  those  attacked  never 
recover.  I  should  have  not  been  much  more  aston- 
ished to  have  seen  my  little  child,  whom  I  buried  sev-  J 
eral  years  ago,  come  into  the  room  alive  and  well,  ' 
than  to  see  Mr.  Steffy  walking  around  and  shaking 
hands  with  the  people  here,  as  I  see  him  to-night. 
It  is  beyond  my  comprehension ;  by  what  power  he  is 
made  whole  I  do  not  know. '  The  people  of  our  town, 
perhaps,  will  never  witness  another  such  a  remark-  '§ 
able  cure  in  their  history.  We  have  read  of  these 
singular  occurrences,  but  never  before  was  a  per- 
sonal witness  of  them.  Those  who  were  present  will 
never  forget  the  services  of  that  evening.— S." 

We  not  only  organized  the  members  of  Friends 
who  lived  at  Portland,  and  those  who  joined  into  a 
Society,  but  we  obtained  a  sufficient  amount  of  mon- 
ey to  purchase  a  good  lot  for  a  meetinghouse,  and 
now  there  is  a  nice  brick  house  on  it. 

Cleveland,  Ohio,  1882, 

About  the  15th  of  March,  1882,  at  the  earnest  re- 
quest of  a  few  friends  we  went  to  the  beautiful  city 
of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  begun  a  series  of  meetings 
in  the  little  Quaker  meetinghouse  on  Cedar  Avenue. 

The  membership  was  very  small,  and  most  of 
them  were  elderly  people.  This  was  one  of  the  '^old- 
time  meetings,"  and  there  had  never  been  a  hymn 
sung  in  it  until  we  went  there. 


J.  Walter  M alone. 


Emma  B.  Malonk. 


Cleveland,  Ohio,  1882.  277 

J.  Walter  Malone,  who  had  attended  our  meet- 
ings at  New  Vienna,  Ohio,  and  of  whom  mention  has 
been  made,  was  a  member  of  Friends.  But  when  he 
went  to  the  city  of  Cleveland  and  found  the  meeting 
so  small,  with  few  young  people,  and  no  Sabbath 
school,  he  was  much  discouraged,  and  concluded  to 
unite  with  the  Congregational  Church.  But  when 
he  came  to  ask  our  advice  about  it,  we  told  him  not  to 
leave  Friends,  but  to  attend  their  meetings,  and  or- 
ganize a  Sabbath  school,  and  if  the  Lord  opened  the 
way  we  would  come  to  Cleveland  and  hold  a  series 
of  meetings  for  Friends.  Walter  Malone  had  been 
greatly  blessed  at  the  New  Vienna  meetings,  and  had 
dedicated  himself  to  the  Lord,  and  promised  us  he 
would  take  our  counsel  and  organize  a  Sabbath 
school  at  Friends  Church.  When  he  laid  the  matter 
before  Cleveland  Friends,  they  readily  granted  him 
the  privilege  of  holding  the  young  people's  meeting 
and  organizing  the  Sabbath  school. 

He  kept  urging  the  Friends  to  have  us  come  and 
hold  a  series  of  meetings. 

They  finally  told  him  they  would  leave  that  mat- 
ter with  him,  and  would  assist  him,  as  they  felt  some- 
thing must  be  done  for  their  meeting.  When  we  ar- 
rived at  Cleveland  Walter  Malone  met  us  at  the 
depot  and  conveyed  us  to  a  good  place  of  entertain- 
ment. 

We  were  not  acquainted  with  any  of  the  Friends 
but  Walter  Malone  and  his  brothers. 

The  Friends  were  very  much  concerned  with  re- 
gard to  the  results  of  the  meetings,  as  there  never 
had  been  any  such  meetings  held  in  their  meeting- 
house. 

On  Sabbath  morning  Walter  Malone  came  and 
accompanied  us  to  the  first  meeting.  The  house  was 
about  half  filled,  and  this  was  a  very  large  audience 
for  them.    The  Lord  was  with  us  in  power.    At  the 


278  James  Farimer. 

conclusion  of  this  meeting  we  were  introduced  to 
some  of  the  friends,  among  them  James  Farimer, 
one  of  the  most  influential  citizens  of  the  city,  and  a 
great  business  man. 

James  Farimer  invited  us  to  ride  with  him  to 
our  place  of  entertainment,  and  said,  "Well,  friends, 
I  will  call  and  take  you  to  the  meeting  this  evening 
if  you  like."  We  gladly  accepted  his  offer,  and  Sab- 
bath night  the  house  was  well  filled,  and  from  that 
time  the  meetings  grew  in  interest  and  munbers,  un- 
til the  house  was  f  oimd  to  be  much  too  small  to  ac- 
conmaodate  the  people. 

Our  meeting  continued  two  weeks  and  many 
professed  conversion,  and  fifty  persons  gave  their 
names  to  become  members  of  Friends  Church. 

Many  of  the  leading  people  of  the  city  attended 
the  meetings.  James  Farimer  was  present  at  almost 
every  meeting,  and  one  day,  when  there  was  no  invi- 
tation given  to  seekers,  he  knelt  in  the  gallery  and 
prayed,  asking  the  Lord  to  have  mercy  on  him,  and 
soon  after  testified  that  he  was  there  and  then  con- 
verted, and  said  he  had  never  been  born  of  God  and 
of  the  Spirit  until  that  time.  He  was  then  eighty 
years  of  age. 

Father  and  Mother  Farimer  were  ever  our  de- 
voted friends,  and  we  shall  ever  remember  their 
kindness  to  us  and  our  dear  children,  and  how  will- 
ingly they  supplied  our  needs.  They  have  passed 
over  into  the  promised  land,  and  it  can  truthfully  be 
recorded  of  them,  ''They  rest  from  their  labors,  and 
their  works  do  follow  them." 

Following  is  a  copy  of  minute  from  Cleveland 
Monthly  Meeting  to  Cesars  Creek  Monthly  Meeting, 
Ohio: 
^^To  Cesars  Creeh  Monthly  Meeting  of  Friends/* 

Dear  Friends:— This  communication  will  serve 
to  inform  you  that  Nathan  T.  and  Esther  G.  Frame, 


Minute  of  Endorsement.  279 

with  their  two  daughters,  have  been  sojourning  in 
the  city  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  for  the  past  three 
months,  or  more,  and  attending  Friends  meeting. 
We  feel  that  our  little  meeting  and  the  throngs  of 
people  who  have  been  attending  with  us,  since  the 
arrival  of  these  dear  friends,  has  been  greatly  blessed 
of  the  Lord. 

Many  have  professed  saving  faith  in  Christ,  and 
many  have  united  with  our  own  church.  The  gospel 
has  been  preached  among  us  with  great  acceptability 
by  these  beloved  ministers,  while  their  daughters 
have  done  a  good  work  by  teaching  in  the  Sabbath 
school.  And  now  as  they  are  about  to  go  from  us, 
our  sincere  prayers  are  for  them,  that  the  blessing 
of  the  Lord  may  attend  their  labors  in  the  future,  as 
has  been  done  here  among  us. 

Signed  on  behalf  of  Cleveland  Meeting  of 
Friends,  September  26th,  1882. 

James  Farimer,  J.  W.  Malone, 

Merrbah  Farimer  Harry  Malone, 

Warwick  Price,  James  Langstaff, 

Beulah  Price,  Sarah  Langstaff, 

L.  E.  Pinn,  E.  F.  Conwell, 

H.  Keynolds,  S.  H.  Malone, 

Charles  Edwards,  H.  H.  Malone, 

C.  E.  Fowler,  Jane  R.  Petitt. 

On  April  24th,  James  Farimer  took  us  to  Lake 
View  Cemetery  to  see  the  vault  of  James  A.  Garfield, 
our  martyred  President.  We  saw  the  vault  in  which 
he  was  laid,  the  casket  was  metal  and  enclosed  in  a 
beautiful  mahogany  case. 

As  we  would  pass  the  home  of  Mrs.  Garfield  on 
our  return  from  Lake  View  Cemetery,  James  Fari- 
mer proposed  that  we  call  and  see  her,  as  he  was  well 
acquainted  with  J.  A.  Garfield  during  his  lifetime. 


280  Garfield's  Home,  Mentor. 

Mrs.  Garfield  received  us  very  cordially,  and  in 
an  unassuming  manner,  and  we  had  a  pleasant  inter- 
view with  her. 

We  also  visited  the  old  home  of  James  A.  Gar- 
ifield  twenty  miles  east  from  Cleveland  and  near  the 
little  village  of  Mentor. 

The  house  is  a  two  story  frame  house,  and  in  one 
of  the  upper  front  rooms  is  where  he  conducted  the 
,campaign  when  he  was  elected  President  of  the  Uni- 
ted States.  As  we  entered  this  room,  we  saw  a  little 
oaken  desk,  dingy  and  ink-stained,  this  was  his  desk 
when  he  was  in  Congress. 

This  room  was  shelved  round  on  three  sides  and 
filled  with  books ;  on  the  other  side  was  a  long  table, 
where  there  had  been  telegraph  instruments  for  re- 
ceiving and  transmitting  messages. 

About  ten  rods  from  this  room  was  a  little  frame 
building,  where  the  mails  and  messages  were  re- 
ceived. This  little  building  was  used  as  a  kind  of  de- 
pository for  many  things  that  had  been  brought  from 
Washington,  D.  C.,  when  the  Garfield  family  so  hast- 
ily left  the  White  House ;  a  wreckage  to  be  hidden 
away. 

Many  of  the  children's  things  were  there.  Sad- 
dles, bridles,  toys  and  playthings.  But  what  at- 
tracted our  attention  most  was  the  Catafalque  under 
which  the  great  man  was  carried  to  his  last  resting 
place  in  Lake  View  Cemetery.  A  memory,  and  that 
was  all.  We  had  seen  the  end  of  human  greatness. 
We  now  prepared  to  return  to  our  home  in  James- 
town, Ohio. 

Friends  at  Cleveland  desired  that  we  should  re- 
main and  be  their  pastors.  We  told  them  we  would 
consider  the  matter,  but  must  return  home  now.  We 
remained  at  home  until  June  16th,  then  returned  to 
Cleveland:  we  remained  at  South  Charleston  over 


Pastors  at  Cleveland.  281 

night,  with  our  dear  friend,  Mary  Atkinson,  and  held 
a  meeting  in  the  Town  Hall,  and  next  day  in  the 
evening  arrived  at  Cleveland  to  be  pastors  for  a  time 
of  Friends  Church. 

There  were  three  regular  meetings  each  week, 
and  the  young  people's  meting,  conducted  by  Walter 
Malone,  and  in  this  meeting  many  were  led  to  Christ. 
The  Lord  greatly  blessed  our  dear  young  friend,  in 
his  work  among  the  young  men  and  women.  There 
was  a  large  Sabbath  school,  and  Walter  Malone  was 
superintendent.  The  Lord  had  opened  for  him  a 
wide  door,  since  his  consecration  at  New  Vienna, 
Ohio. 

The  impetus  that  the  little  meeting  had  received 
at  our  series  of  meetings  was  still  manifested  in  the 
spiritual  life,  and  the  church  was  filled  at  every  meet- 
ing. 

It  was  a  common  thing  for  people  to  be  con- 
verted at  the  regular  meetings,  and  almost  every 
week  some  person  made  application  for  membership 
to  Friends  Church. 

Often  on  Sabbath  days  the  house  would  not  hold 
the  crowds  who  came,  though  the  aisles  were  filled 
with  chairs  to  accommodate  as  many  as  possible. 

Our  daughters  were  with  us,  and  I  think  we  were 
not  out  of  the  city  during  the  summer  except  to  at- 
tend a  camp-meeting  at  New  Carlisle,  Ohio. 

We  remained  at  Cleveland  until  time  to  attend 
the  Indiana  Yearly  meeting  at  Richmond.  Our  work 
at  Cleveland  had  been  a  most  delightful  work,  and 
the  Lord  wonderfully  blessed  us.  Friends  had  sup- 
plied our  temporal  needs. 

Dublin,  Indiana,  1882, 

While  at  Indiana  yearly  meeting  Esther  and  I 
both  were  sick  with  malarial  fever,  and  went  home 


282  Dublin,  Indiana. 

before  tlie  close  of  the  meeting.  On  November  28tli 
we  had  so  far  recovered  that  we  conmienced  a  series 
of  meetings  at  Dublin,  Indiana.  The  old  battle  was 
again  begun.  Many  of  the  church  members  were  in- 
different; some  entirely  backslidden,  others  did  not 
believe  in  revivals,  others  thought  there  was  too 
much  singing,  some  said  without  singing,  no  good 
could  be  accomplished.  Yet  we  found,  as  we  always 
do  at  all  meetings,  some  devoted  living  Christians, 
ready  for  the  work  of  the  Lord.  These  meetings 
were  blessed  to  the  conversion  of  many  sinners,  and 
there  was  much  good  accomplished. 

We  made  our  home  with  Joel  and  Phebe  Gilbert^ 
where  we  had  good  care  and  sweet  rest. 

We  closed  our  meetings  at  Dublin,  Indiana,  De- 
cember 10th  and  went  to  Spring  Valley,  Ohio,  where 
we  held  a  series  of  meetings  of  a  few  days. 

A  brother  Reeves  was  reclaimed  from  a  back- 
slidden state  at  this  time  and  gave  joyful  testimony 
in  the  meetings  to  the  joys  of  God's  salvation.  In  a 
few  days  he  died,  and  we  preached  his  funeral. 

**His  death  was  a  most  triumphant  one." 

"Death  enters,  and  there's  no  defense, 
His  time  there's  none  can  tell, 
He'll  in  a  moment  call  thee  hence — 
To  heaven ;  or  down  to  hell." 

West  Milton,  Ohio,  1883. 

February  9th,  1883,  went  to  West  Milton,  Ohio, 
where  we  held  a  series  of  meetings  in  1870.  There 
had  been  many  changes  in  fourteen  years.  The  even- 
gelistic  revival  work  had  just  commenced  among 
Friends  at  that  time.  There  was  no  Friends'  meet- 
ing house  in  West  Milton  then,  but  now  they  have  a 
good  one,  a  good  meeting  and  fine  Sabbath  school. 


West  Milton,  Ohio.  283 

Our  meetings  here  at  this  time  were  blessed  to 
the  conversion  of  many  souls,  and  more  than  thirty 
gave  their  names  for  membership  with  Friends. 

We  made  our  home  with  David  M.  Coate  and 
wife.  She  was  an  estimable  woman,  but  had  not  been 
converted,  though  she  had  been  a  member  of  Friends 
all  her  life,  and  much  honored,  and  a  regular  attend- 
ant of  meeting  and  an  active  supporter  of  the  work 
among  Friends.  But  on  the  21st  of  February  she 
for  the  first  time  declared  she  had  found  peace  in  be- 
lieving, and  knew  that  the  spirit  bore  witness  with 
her  that  she  was  bom  of  God. 

Waynesville,  Ohio,  1883. 

We  began  our  meetings  at  Waynesville  March 
20th,  1883.  There  were  some  Friends  here  most  de- 
vout Christians,  and  earnest  and  active  workers  in 
the  Lord's  vineyard.  The  house  was  soon  filled,  and 
all  classes,  saints  and  sinners  attended  the  meetings. 
Orthodox  Friends,  Hicksites  Methodist,  Presbyte- 
rians, from  the  different  churches.  Many  of  the 
drinking  and  rough   classes   came  to  the  meetings. 

There  were  often  more  men  came  than  women. 
One  man,  a  desperate  character,  and  a  drunkard,  who 
had  a  quarrel  with  a  man  who  was  attending  the 
meetings,  came  one  night  partially  intoxicated, 
armed  with  a  revolver  and  a  knife  to  kill  the  man  he 
had  a  grudge  against. 

We  were  inviting  penitents  forward  for  prayer. 
I  knew  this  man  was  in  the  audience  with  some  of  his 
drinking  companions,  and  I  knew  the  man  he  had 
threatened  to  kill  was  there  also.  Quite  a  number 
of  persons  had  come  forward  for  prayer  and  I  went 
to  this  man  and  asked  him  to  come  and  give  himself 
to  the  Lord. 


284  A  Murderous  Man, 

He  said,  "Mr.  Frame,  I  am  in  no  condition  to 
become  a  Christian;  I  have  been  drinking.'*  I  told 
him  I  knew  what  he  had  been  doing,  but  that  God 
could  save  him  from  all  his  sins  and  make  him  a 
Christian.  I  told  him  also  I  knew  the  purpose  for 
which  he  had  come  to  the  meeting,  that  I  knew  he  was 
armed  to  kill,  but  that  I  was  not  afraid  of  him. 

**"Well,"  said  he,  "I  will  not  hurt  you,  but  I  can- 
not be  a  Christian  now,  I  am  going  to  shoot  that 
man." 

I  said  to  him,  "You  are  not  going  to  shoot  any- 
one, for  I  do  not  intend  to  leave  you ;  you  must  go  for- 
ward for  prayer." 

He  resisted  quite  a  time,  but  finally  went  with 
me  and  we  knelt  down  and  I  prayed  with  him.  I 
told  him  he  ought  to  let  me  have  his  revolver  and 
knife,  as  the  man  he  wanted  to  kill  had  left  the  house. 
He  gave  his  weapons  to  some  young  men  that  were 
with  me,  but  we  could  not  get  him  to  give  up  his  re- 
venge. Sometimes  he  would  agonize  in  prayer  and 
ask  God  to  help  him  and  suddenly  would  cease  pray- 
ing and  say,  *^I  must  kill  Mm!'*  Then  he  would  pray 
again. 

Quite  a  number  of  people  were  converted  that 
night.  The  meeting  was  dismissed  and  all  went  home 
but  the  man  who  wanted  to  commit  murder  and  three 
or  four  young  men  who  were  Christians.  This  man 
wanted  to  go,  but  we  induced  him  to  remain  for  a 
time  and  give  himself  to  God  and  be  saved.  We 
prayed  with  him,  and  though  he  was  not  converted 
there  came  a  great  change  over  him ;  he  became  calm 
and  promised  he  would  not  attempt  any  violence  to 
the  man  he  came  to  kill. 

The  young  men  took  him  to  his  home  and  he  gave 
us  no  more  trouble.  The  Lord  saved  him  from  com- 
mitting an  awful  crime. 


Home  Again.  285 

Our  meetings  continued  here  until  May  22d,  and 
we  then  returned  home  to  Jamestown,  Ohio. 

Jamestown,  Ohio,  1883. 

We  had  now  been  engaged  in  series  of  meetings 
constantly  since  October,  1882,  eight  months,  and 
hundreds  of  people  had  been  converted,  and  many  had 
joined  the  Friends,  and  other  churches.  The  Lord 
had  greatly  blessed  us  in  the  work.  We  remained  at 
home  long  enough  to  attend  to  some  household  affairs. 

Many  of  our  friends  advised  us  to  desist  from 
holding  meetings  during  the  summer,  but  everywhere 
the  fields  were  white  unto  harvest  and  few  seemed 
willing  to  enter  the  field  unless  they  could  find  some 
work  that  did  not  require  sacrifice.  We  felt  we  must 
not  wait  for  places  that  were  easy,  but  follow  the 
Master,  and  if  He  called  us  to  the  lanes,  the  streets, 
or  the  alleys,  we  must  go— we  must  go  to  the  lost, 
whether  *^ricW  or  ^^poor/' 

When  Stanley  found  Dr.  Livingston  in  Central 
Africa,  after  he  had  spent  thirty  years  in  opening 
the  way  for  the  Gospel  to  be  preached  in  the  "Dark 
Continent"  and  he  advised  Livingston  to  go  home 
and  see  his  family  and  friends,  his  immortal  reply 
was, ' '  I  cannot  go !    I  must  finish  my  life  work. ' ' 

"O  for  a  heart  that  will  not  shrink, 

Though  pressed  by  every  foe. 
That  will  not  tremble  on  the  brink 

Of  any  earthly  woe." 

The  Old  Church  Tower, 

Below  is  a  poem  suggested  by  a  letter  written  by 
our  daughter.    Here  are  the  words:     *'0,  papa,  I 


286  The  Old  Church  Tower. 

wish  thee  was  here  tonight  and  could  listen  to  the 
wind  in  the  Old  Church  Tower/' 

Sigh,  O  wind,  through  the  old  church  tower, 
For  you  speak  to  my  heart  in  this  lonely  hour ; 
The  flowers  have  withered  and  fallen  the  leaves. 
And  ice  drops  are  hanging  beneath  the  eaves 
And  the  great  dark  clouds  are  sailing  by 
And  hide  from  my  vision  the  beautiful  sky, 
While  the  stars — those  glorious  lamps  of  light, 
Are  hidden  from  view  by  the  curtains  of  night. 

Sob,  O  wind,  through  the  old  church  tower, 

And  sing  to  my  heart  in  this  lonely  hour ; 

Utter  a  wail,  and  echo  a  moan. 

For  the  day  is  sad  and  dreary  and  lone ; 

While  I  sit  and  dream  of  the  golden  past 

To  your  sad  refrain  borne  along  on  the  blast 

Some  friends  that  I  loved  with  the  flowers  have  died 

And  the  tears  on  my  cheeks  to  ice  drops  have  dried. 

Solemn — and  sad,  from  the  old  church  tower. 
Echoes  your  voice  at  the  midnight  hour. 
And  the  air  seems  filled  with  the  trampling  feet 
That  are  keeping  time  with  a  musical  beat. 
The  fire  burns  low  in  the  grate  as  I  look, 
And  I  hold  in  my  hand  my  half  open  book 
And  I  wonder  what  shall  my  life  work  be ; 
Shall  I  always  drift  on  this  limitless  seat 

Soft — and  low  from  the  old  church  tower, 
I  hear  a  voice  as  I  muse  in  this  hour, 
"Be  patient,  fair  maiden,  thy  work  is  to  wait. 
With  thy  feet  in  the  way  and  thy  hand  on  the  gate ; 
There  are  tender  plants  that  shall  need  thy  care ; 
There  are  fields  to  cultivate,  rich  and  rare ; 
And  I  chasten  thy  spirit  to  lead  thee  aright ; 
God's  angel  now  sendeth  a  song  in  the  night 


I 


Western  Yearly  Meeting.  287 

Hushed — is  the  voice  in  the  old  church  tower, 
And  silence  now  reigns,    A  marvelous  power 
Has  swept  from  the  sky  with  her  magical  wand 
All  the  dark  clouds  by  a  wave  of  her  hand ; 
And  sweet  is  my  rest,  so  calm,  and  so  deep, 
Like  an  infant's  repose  in  an  untroubled  sleep ; 
Fair  morning  has  lifted  the  clouds  of  the  night 
And  fills  all  the  world  with  her  roseate  light. 

Nathan  T.  Frame, 
Jamestown,  Ohio,  1883. 

Western  Yearly  Meeting. 

Saturday,  June  18th,  1883,  we  started  on  a  mis- 
sionary journey  to  hold  some  meetings  among 
"Friends"  in  Western  Yearly  Meeting.  We  went 
by  way  of  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  to  Dan\'ille,  Illinois, 
and  from  Danville  on  the  Chicago  and  Eastern  Illi- 
nois Railway  to  the  little  station  of  Wellington.  Our 
Friend  William  S.  Wooton,  Evangelistic  Superin- 
tendent of  Western  Yearly  Meeting  had  greatly  de- 
sired us  to  go  and  hold  some  meetings  in  places  where 
the  meetings  were  small,  and  had  been  much  neglect- 
ed. There  had  been  a  meeting  published  for  us  at  a 
little  meeting  house  called  '*Ash  Grove"  and  we  had 
been  inf onned  that  there  was  a  train  ran  from  Wel- 
lington Station  within  two  miles  of  Ash  Grove,  but 
when  we  arrived  at  Wellington  we  found  that  the 
train  had  gone  and  there  would  be  no  more  trains 
until  Monday.  The  distance  to  Ash  Grove  was 
twelve  miles,  but  our  appointment  was  published 
and  we  must  get  to  it  if  possible.  I  could  find  no  liv- 
ery in  the  little  town,  but  a  gentleman  informed  us 
that  "The  Barber"  had  horses,  and  a  spring  wagon, 
and  that  he  sometimes  carried  persons  where  they 
wished  to  go.    I  went  to  see  "The  Barber,"  left  Es- 


288  To  Ash  Grove. 

ther  sitting  on  the  edge  of  the  little  station  platform, 
calmly  and  seemingly  waiting  to  see  what  I  might 
turn  up.  *'The  Barber'*  said  he  had  loaned  his 
spring  wagon  to  a  friend,  and  he  had  no  other  con- 
veyance but  an  open,  one  seated  buggy,  but  that  it 
would  be  much  crowded,  as  he  would  have  to  send 
a  boy  with  us  to  drive.  I  told  him  we  must  go,  and 
for  him  to  send  the  boy  with  horse  and  buggy  right 
away,  but  as  the  horse  had  been  taken  to  the  pasture 
one  mile  away  it  took  him  fully  an  hour  to  get  ready. 
So  we  waited  and  pondered  on  the  uncertainty  of 
all  earthly  things.  But  at  last  horse  and  buggy  and 
boy  arrived,  and  we  strapped  on  our  valise  fast  to  the 
hind  part  of  the  buggy,  all  three  got  into  the  one 
seated  vehicle,  the  boy  sitting  between  us,  and  started 
for  "Ash  Grove."  Through  this  flat  country,  the 
horse  and  buggy  going  down  three  or  four  inches  in 
the  black  spongy  soil  all  the  time,  and  often  ruts  a 
foot  deep.  Ash  Grove  lies  northwest  from  Welling- 
ton, and  as  the  country  is  laid  off  in  section  lines, 
running  with  the  points  of  the  compass,  and  all  the 
roads  are  on  the  section  lines,  we  would  go  a  mile 
west,  then  a  mile  north,  and  as  the  boy  had  never  been 
at  Ash  Grove,  when  we  had  traveled  far  enough  as 
we  thought  to  be  in  the  vicinity  of  Ash  Grove,  I 
halted  the  boy  in  front  of  a  house,  and  awakened  the 
sleepers  within.  A  man  opened  a  window  in  the  at- 
tic, and  demanded  rather  gruffly  what  I  wanted.  I 
said,  "We  want  to  go  to  Ash  Grove.'*  "Well  you  are 
there  now,"  said  he.  Well,  I  said,  "Where  is  it," 
"Right  before  your  eyes,"  said  the  man.  Right  be- 
fore, I  said,  "There  is  nothing  but  some  little  scat- 
tering forest  trees."  Well,  he  continued,  "Ash 
Grove  is  a  'Strip  of  Timber'  fifteen  miles  long,  and 
a  few  miles  wide,  growing  along  that  creek  there." 
So  sure  enough  we  were  at  Ash  Grove,  at  one  end  of 


'A  Horse  Meeting,  289 

it,  where  the  other  end  of  it  was  we  did  not  know,  and 
least  of  all  did  we  know  where  to  llnd  the  Friends' 
meeting  house.  I  now  inquired  if  there  were  any 
Quakers  living  close  by.  He  had  never  heard  of 
Quakers,  and  was  sure  there  were  none  in  this  part 
of  the  country.  "Well,  is  there  any  town  or  place 
near  here  where  we  can  get  to  remain  until  morn- 
ing*?" (it  was  now  nearly  twelve  o'clock.)  Yes,  you 
can  stay  all  night  at  "Pitchin."  We  bade  the  man 
good  night,  and  told  the  boy  to  drive  on  to  "Pitch- 
In."  We  had  gone  about  one  mile  when  we  came  to 
a  long,  low  frame  house  near  the  road,  and  the  lights 
from  the  windows  indicated  that  there  was  some 
public  gathering  there.  I  said,  "Esther,  there  is  the 
Friends'  meeting  house  now  and  they  are  having 
meeting. "  Sol  inquired  of  a  man,  who  was  standing 
outside,  what  kind  of  a  meeting  there  was  in  the 
house,  and  he  said  "A  Horse  Meeting."  Well,  we 
wondered  what  a  "Horse  Meeting"  could  be,  and  the 
man  explained  that  it  was  a  meeting  where  stockmen 
met  to  discuss  about  horses.  Then  we  inquired  for 
Quakers  again,  and  he  told  us  there  was  a  neighbor- 
hood of  them  about  three  miles  away. 

So  in  an  hour  we  arrived  at  the  house  of  Brother 
Newlin,  and  there  found  W.  S.  Wooton,  who  was 
truly  rejoiced  to  see  us.  We  had  found  ^^Ash  Grove  '^ 
Sabbath  morning  at  eleven  o'clock  we  attended  the 
meeting  at  Ash  Grove  and  the  house  was  well  filled 
We  remained  two  or  three  days  and  then  went  to  St. 
Joseph,  held  two  meetings  and  on  the  24th  of  Jime 
went  to  Stanton,  a  Friends  meeting  five  miles  from 
St.  Joseph.  In  a  letter  to  our  daughters,  written 
from  here  soon  after  our  meetings  commenced,  we 
say,  "We  have  been  here  since  Saturday,  and  find  a 
great  revival  on  our  hands ;  we  have  much  rain  and 
the  roads  are  the  muddiest  roads  you  ever  saw,  the 


25)0  Many  Meetings. 

wagons  sinking  in  the  ruts  to  the  axles  in  some  places, 
so  the  farmers  cannot  work  and  all  men,  women  and 
children  attend  the  meetings.  We  have  meetings 
only  in  the  day  time,  morning  and  afternoon. ' ' 

This  was  a  wonderful  meeting,  people  became 
converted  and  were  so  anxious  to  be  saved  that  they 
would  kneel  down,  in  the  audience  and  call  on  the 
Lord  to  save  them.  Backsliders  were  reclaimed,  sin- 
ners of  all  grades  were  converted,  and  many  joined 
the  church.  We  went  from  Stanton  to  a  Friends' 
meeting  house  near  the  little  village  of  Hays,  and  at- 
tended a  two  days'  meeting,  and  from  there  to 
Georgetown;  was  at  Friends'  meeting  and  had 
meeting  on  the  4th  of  July.  We  were  gone  from  home 
on  this  trip  a  little  more  than  one  month,  and  though 
we  had  toilsome  work,  many  were  saved. 

Various  Meetings. 

Soon  after  returning  home  we  went  to  attend 
the  dedication  of  the  New  Meetinghouse  at  Portland, 
Indiana.  This  house  had  been  built  since  1882,  when 
we  held  the  revival  meeting  there.  The  meetings  on 
Saturday  were  well  attended,  and  on  Sabbath  morn- 
ing at  eleven  o'clock,  was  the  time  appointed  for  the 
dedication.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  minister  ad- 
journed his  meeting  at  that  hour  and  came  to  our 
meeting  with  many  of  his  members.  The  house  was 
filled  almost  to  suffication  and  many  people  could  not 
gain  admittance.  We  had  a  most  blessed  meeting. 
Esther  preached  the  spirit  of  the  Lord,  being  most 
wonderfully  manifested  among  the  people.  There 
was  a  debt  on  the  house  of  twelve  hundred  dollars, 
and  at  the  conclusion  of  the  meeting  for  worship,  we 
entered  into  a  subscription  in  the  face  of  the  congre- 
gation to  meet  this  debt.    The  amount  was  soon  sub- 


We  Dedicate  a  Meeting  House.  291 

scribed,  the  M.  E.  minister  assisting  by  urging  his 
people  to  give. 

^^ Dedication  of  the  Quaker  Church/* 

**Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  had  charge  of  the  dedica- 
tion of  the  New  Friends  Church  at  Portland,  In- 
diana, last  Sabbath.  We  understand  that  it  was 
through  these  good  people  that  the  church  was  built 
up  in  this  section  of  the  country,  until  it  is  now  in  a 
flourishing  condition. ' ' 

We  went  home  from  Portland,  attended  Indiana 
Yearly  Meeting,  and  we  went  from  Indiana  Yearly 
Meeting  to  attend  Kansas  Yearly  Meeting,  held  in 
the  city  of  Lawrence,  Kansas.  This  was  in  the  month 
of  October. 

Friends  at  Lawrence  have  a  good,  substantial 
stone  meeting  house,  and  ample  grounds  for  the  ac- 
commodation of  all  who  come  to  the  meetings.  Many 
friends  come  in  wagons  with  their  own  teams  from 
the  interior  of  the  State,  bringing  their  families,  and 
camp  on  the  Yearly  Meeting  Grounds,  doing  their 
own  cooking  and  sleep  in  their  covered  wagons  or  in 
tents.  The  ample  grounds  surrounding  the  meeting 
house  was  originally  intended  for  this  purpose,  as 
many  friends  were  in  limited  financial  circumstances 
and  could  not  attend  yearly  meeting  when  they  had 
to  hire  transportation  and  pay  their  board. 

Kansas  yearly  meeting  is  an  aggressive  body, 
and  according  to  members  an  important  element  in 
the  development  of  the  resources  of  that  great  west- 
em  state  that  is  foremost  in  so  many  noble  enter- 
prises. The  friends  in  Kansas,  as  in  all  places  where 
there  is  any  considerable  body  of  them,  have  been 
among  the  foremost  in  moral  reform.  In  the  tem- 
perance work,  the  payment  of  wages  for  school  teach- 


292  TopeJcttj  Kansas. 

ers,  the  same  for  women  as  for  tneUy  our  conclusion 
was  that  Kansas  Yearly  Meeting  of  Friends  would, 
or  rather  has  taken  her  place  as  one  of  the  bright 
stars  in  the  ^'Golden  Candlestick"  that  shall  never 
be  removed  out  of  her  place. 

The  Lord  opened  the  way  for  us  here  to  preach 
the  gospel  in  its  fullness,  and  we  know  that  some  who 
had  not  found  peace  in  believing  were  converted  dur- 
ing the  session  of  this  yearly  meeting. 

January  1st  we  began  a  series  of  meetings  in 
Topeka,  Kansas,  in  the  First  M.  E.  Church.  Bro. 
Cowels,  pastor.  These  meetings  continued  until 
February  14th.  There  were  many  excellent  people 
belonging  to  this  church,  but  the  spiritual  life  was 
weak,  many  were  lovers  of  pleasure  more  than  lovers 
of  God.  But  there  were  those  among  the  mass  of  the 
membership  who  were  filled  with  the  spirit,  and  the 
Lord  was  with  us  in  much  power,  and  many  were 
converted.  There  was  one  young  man  who  had  min- 
gled largely  with  the  world,  and  traveled  in  many 
lands,  who  was  converted  at  this  meeting,  and  a  part 
of  a  letter  written  to  us  after  his  conversion,  is  here 
copied,  to  show  the  truth  of  the  scripture,  * '  That  we 
know  that  our  labor  is  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord." 

"Topeka,  Kansas,  Feb.  16th,  1884. 
**Dear  Brother  and  Sister  Frame, 
"Lawrence,  Kansas. 

"As  I  promised,  I  now  write  you,  and  now  give 
you  an  outline  of  my  life,  and  after  you  have  read 
it  I  think  you  will  say  with  myself  that  I  am  a  monu- 
ment of  God's  amazing  mercy.  I  was  bom  in  a  sea- 
port town,  of  Christian  parents,  and  my  father  was 
a  ship  captain  for  more  than  twenty  years  and  from 
him  I  inherited  the  desire  to  go  to  sea,  and  become 
acquainted  with  the  world. 


Remarkable  Letter.  293 

**But  my  father  desired  me  to  have  a  collegiate 
education— but  it  seems  to  have  been  ordered  other- 
wise, for  at  seventeen  years  of  age,  I  quit  school  and 
went  to  sea,  my  father  having  reluctantly  consented. 
On  my  first  voyage  I  was  away  from  home  twenty- 
nine  months,  and  in  that  time  I  visited  China  twice, 
also  Australia,  India  and  California,  and  when  Mrs. 
Frame  spoke  of  'Home  Sickness'  in  one  of  her  ser- 
mons, I  thought  if  there  was  a  person  on  earth  who 
knew  what  it  was,  that  person  was  myself. 

*'0n  my  return  home  from  my  first  voyage  my 
father  asked  me  how  I  liked  a  sailor's  life.  I  replied 
first  rate,  not  being  willing  to  admit  I  had  made  a 
mistake.  But  I  knew  I  had  unfitted  myself  for  nearly 
every  other  calling  in  life.  I  had  chosen  my  occupa- 
tion and  must  follow  it.  I  resolved  to  fit  myself  for  a 
ship  captain,  and  would  not  be  satisfied  until  I  could 
command  as  fine  a  ship  as  any  that  sailed  out  of  New 
York  harbor.  At  twenty-one  years  of  age  I  had 
passed  a  successful  examination  before  the  board  of 
Ship  Masters  in  New  York  City,  and  received  a  cer- 
tificate from  them  that  I  was  competent  in  every  re- 
spect to  fill  the  position  of  first  mate  of  any  vessel 
sailing  out  of  the  port  of  New  York,  and  were  it  not 
for  my  youth  they  would  recommend  me  competent 
to  command.  I  showed  my  certificate  to  my  parents 
and  I  think  they  were  proud  of  their  baby. 

**I  will  not  go  into  all  the  minutes  of  my  life  at 
this  time,  only  say  I  was  six  years  in  the  merchant 
service  and  four  years  an  officer  in  the  Navy  during 
the  war  of  the  American  Rebellion.  While  in  the  mer- 
chant service  I  visited  California,  Australia,  China, 
East  Indies,  South  America,  Sandwich  Islands,  and' 
many  other  foreign  lands,  and  I  had  much  hard  woes 
and  some  trying  ordeals  to  pass  through.    I  was  at 


294  Topeka,  Kansas. 

the  capture  of  Chambersburg,  New  Orleans,  Mobile 
and  many  other  smaller  places. 

^'In  looking  over  my  past  life,  I  am  compelled 
to  say  that  goodness  and  mercy  have  followed  me  all 
my  days.  I  have  been  twice  shipwrecked.  I  have 
been  on  a  ship  yard  arm  and  saw  two  men  washed 
overboard,  and  I  within  four  feet  of  them.  I  have 
had  men  shot  down  by  my  side  during  the  war,  but 
God  in  his  infinite  mercy  spared  me.  I  cannot  re- 
member when  the  Holy  Spirit  did  not  strive  with 
me,  and  at  times  I  was  deeply  convicted.  I  was  in 
China  when  my  father  died,  and  my  mothers  letter 
to  me  pricked  me  to  the  heart,  but  I  resisted.  She 
said  in  that  letter  nearly  the  last  words  father  ut- 
tered were,  'Tell   my  boy  to  remember   Christ  and 

Topeka,  Kansas^  1884. 

his  religion,  for  it  has  sustained  me  through  more 
than  fifty  years,  and  now  is  gloriously  sustaining  me 
in  the  hour  of  death.'  Four  years  ago  last  summer 
I  heard  Bishop  Simpson  preach  from  the  text,  'What 
shall  it  profit  a  man  if  he  gain  the  whole  world,  and 
lose  his  soul*?'  I  was  deeply  moved,  but  I  resisted 
the  spirit,  but  I  praise  the  Lord  your  compelling 
power  caused  me  to  yield,  and  give  God  my  heart. 
"Dear  Brother  and  Sister  Frame,  today  I  am 
happy,  I  have  just  commenced  to  live.  I  had  a  few 
years  ago  accumulated  thirty-five  thousand  dollars, 
but  the  panic  came  and  swept  it  all  away,  but  praise 
the  Lord  today  I  am  rich,  I  am  the  child  of  a  king, 
and  have  a  title  to  a  mansion  in  the  skies.  I  shall  do 
all  the  good  I  can,  and  meet  you  in  heaven.  May  the 
Lord  bless  you,  and  your  family.  I  remain  your 
brother  in  Christ. 

"S.  S.  Hand.'' 


Invitation  to  Lawrence,  295 

We  have  inserted  this  letter  to  indicate  some- 
thing of  the  work  done  in  these  revival  meetings. 
Many  remarkable  cases  might  be  given  but  this  one 
is  sufficient  at  this  time.  A  great  many  were  con- 
verted at  these  meetings,  and  the  influence  reached 
hundreds  in  the  city.  While  we  were  here  the  min- 
ister of  the  city  of  Lawrence,  Kansas,  sent  the  pastor 
of  the  Episcopal  Methodist  Church  at  Lawrence  to 
invite  us  to  hold  a  union  meeting  of  all  the  churches 
there.  All  the  Protestant  churches  joined  in  this  in- 
vitation—Methodist, Presbyterian,  Congregational- 
ists.  Baptists,  Lutherans,  Friends,  and  all  others. 
When  Brother  Alderman  had  laid  the  matter  before 
us,  we  felt  it  to  be  a  call  from  the  Lord,  and  told  him 
we  would  come  to  Lawrence  and  commence  meetings 
as  soon  as  our  meetings  closed  at  Topeka. 

We  remained  at  Topeka  another  week,  and 
Brother  Alderman  went  home  to  Lawrence  and  made 
arrangements  with  the  churches  for  our  coming.  All 
the  services  at  the  different  churches  were  to  be  re- 
called during  the  progress  of  our  meetings,  except 
the  regular  Sabbath  morning  meeting  at  each  church, 
and  on  the  Sabbath  mornings  we  were  to  rest. 

Prayer  meetings,  missionary  meetings,  and  all 
gatherings  of  a  social  nature,  in  which  the  church 
membership  were  likely  to  engage,  that  were  not  in 
direct  connection  with  the  union  meetings  were  put 
aside,  and  all  the  force  of  the  churches  was  to  be 
centered  in  the  Salvation  of  souls. 

Lawrence,  Kansas,  1884. 

February  15th  we  commenced  meetings  in  the 
city  of  Lawrence,  Kansas.  For  the  first  week  the 
meetings  were  held  in  the  Baptist  meetinghouse.  The 
interest  was  very  great  from  the  time  the  meetings 
began.    The  ministers  of  the  different  churches  all 


296  Bon't  Preach  Hell. 

attended  and  assisted  in  the  work  and  were  very- 
kind.  But  two  of  them  came  to  Esther  and  said: 
''Mrs.  Frame,  do  not  preach  there  is  a  hell;  we  have 
many  respectable  people  here  who  do  not  believe  in 
hell."  Esther  said,  '*I  love  the  people  so  well  I  must 
preach  all  the  gospel." 

And  we  did  preach  it  all;  Heaven  and  Hell, 
Christ  and  the  Devil,  Sin  and  Salvation  from  Sin, 
Repentance  and  Forgiveness,  Retribution,  Rewards, 
Death  and  the  Judgment,  and  the  Lord  wonderfully 
blessed  and  owned  the  preaching,  in  the  Salvation 
of  hundreds  of  people.  These  converts  were  from  all 
classes  and  grades  of  society.  Old  men  and  women, 
those  in  the  full  maturity  of  their  strength,  young 
men  and  women,  and  little  children.  Many  of  the 
prominent  business  men  were  converted  at  these 
meetings,  and  are  occupying  some  of  the  most  re- 
sponsible business  positions  in  the  country.  J 

We  soon  found  the  house  where  the  meetings  " 
were  held  was  much  too  small,  and  it  was  decided  to 
hold  the  night  meetings  in  the  Friends  large  Yearly 
Meetinghouse,  and  this  house  was  too  small,  often 
hundreds  were  turned  away  for  want  of  room. 

We  held  a  number  of  Children's  meetings.  At 
one  of  these  meetings  there  were  over  eight  hundred 
children  in  attendance.  The  attendance  was  very 
large  at  all  of  these  meetings,  beside  the  children, 
there  were  the  Sabbath  school  teachers  and  Christian 
workers,  and  none  were  excluded,  so  the  house  was 
filled  with  people. 

At  these  Children's  meetings  hundreds  of  child- 
ren gave  their  hearts  to  the  Lord,  and  were  saved. 
We  have  never  spoken  to  more  attentive  audiences. 
At  the  meeting  where  there  were  eight  hundred  child- 
ren present,  there  were  one  hundred  of  them  con- 
verted and  many  of  them  in  sweet  simplicity  gave 


Great  Childrens'  Meetings.  297 

public  testimony  for  Christ.  At  the  meeting  where 
so  many  were  converted  one  day,  Esther  noticed  a 
little  boy,  sobbing  and  praying,  and  she  asked  him  if 
Jesus  had  taken  his  sins  away,  and  he  promptly  an- 
swered her, ' '  No  mam,  He  has  not. ' '  She  then  passed 
on  to  others,  and  in  half  an  hour  returned  to  him, 
and  seeing  him  sitting  on  the  seat,  and  a  smile  upon 
his  face,  she  said  to  him,  "Little  boy,  has  Jesus  saved 
thee,"  and  he  replied,  "Yes  mam,  He  has  saved  me." 
It  was  just  as  evident  that  Christ  had  saved  him, 
though  a  little  boy,  as  it  was  that  he  loved  his  mother. 
The  Saviour  said,  "It  were  better  for  that  man  that 
a  millstone  were  hanged  about  his  neck,  and  that  he 
were  droT^^led  in  the  depths  of  the  sea,  than  to  cause 
one  of  these  little  ones  who  believe  in  Me  to  offend." 
It  was  impossible  to  determine  the  number  of 
people  who  were  converted  at  these  meetings.  The 
influence  of  the  work  extended  many  miles  into  the 
country,  and  the  villages  near  Lawrence.  Our  meet- 
ings were  closed  here  sooner  than  we  anticipated  on 
account  of  Esther's  health.  In  the  morning,  many 
times,  she  was  compelled  to  take  her  breakfast  in  her 
room. 

We  were  entertained  while  at  Lawrence  at 
Washington  Hadeys,  and  he  and  his  dear  wife  and 
daughters,  made  our  stay  with  them  one  of  constant 
rest,  as  far  as  it  was  possible  for  them  to  do  so.  The 
memory  of  their  sweet  care  is  very  precious.  They 
were  very  tender  and  attentive  to  Esther  in  her  sick- 
ness ;  God  ever  bless  them. 


298  In  the  South. 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Mountain  Home,  Alabama. 

August  23rd  we  started  South  to  hold  some  meet- 
ings in  Alabama.  Our  Friends,  William  and  Docia 
Wooton,  with  their  family,  had  removed  to  Northern 
Alabama.  ' '  Mountain  Home  "  is  in  Lawrence  County 
eighteen  miles  from  Deeater,  and  seven  miles  from 
Courtland,  the  nearest  station  on  the  Memphis  and 
Charleston  Railway.  ' '  Our  Friends ' '  had  purchased 
eight  himdred  acres  of  land  in  the  foothills  of  the 
Tennessee  Mountains  w^here  there  had  been  an  Acad- 
emy before  the  war  of  the  Rebellion.  The  school 
had  been  abandoned  since  the  w^ar,  and  the  buildings 
were  much  out  of  repair.  There  was  a  school  house 
and  some  boarding  houses  that  had  been  occupied  by 
the  students  and  teachers ;  the  place  had  been  sadly 
neglected.  Indeed,  the  whole  valley  of  the  beautifiil 
Tennessee  from  Decatur  as  far  as  Florence  and  Tus- 
cumbia  still  bore  the  marks  of  the  desolation  of  war. 
Mountain  Home  had  been  made  a  kind  of  summer 
resort  for  the  Tennessee  valley  people,  where  they 
spent  three  or  four  of  the  hot  summer  months  away 
from  the  heat  and  malaria. 

Our  Friends  purchased  Mountain  Home  with  a 
view  to  establishing  a  school,  and  preaching  the  Gos- 
pel among  the  mountain  people,  most  of  whom  were 
very  ignorant  and  poor.  They  came  at  the  call  of 
their  Di^dne  Master,  as  they  believed.  Since  their 
stay  in  the  South  they  had  been  urging  us  to  come 
and  hold  some  meetings,  and  assist  them  in  this  needy 
field. 

We  arrived  at  Courtland  August  24th,  1884,  and 
were  met  at  the  station  by  our  dear  Friends,  and  oon- 


William  S.  Wooton. 


DOCTA    WOOTON. 


Tennessee  Mountains,  299 

veyed  to  their  home  among  the  mountains.  This  was 
a  new  field  for  us,  as  we  had  not  before  visited  any 
of  the  Southern  States  to  hold  meetings. 

William  Wooton  had  arranged  for  a  grove  meet- 
ing in  the  woods,  near  the  "Big  Spring."  The  plat- 
form where  we  were  to  stand  was  in  a  ravine,  the 
ground  sloping  toward  the  ' '  Preachers  Stand. ' '  Our 
first  meeting  was  on  Sabbath,  and  the  day  was  almost 
perfect,  the  thick  foliage  screening  the  people  from 
the  rays  of  the  sun.  The  audience  was  large,  all 
classes  came.  Many  of  the  leading  men  and  women 
from  Lawrence  County  came.  From  Moulton,  Court- 
land,  Hillsboro,  and  from  the  plantations  along  the 
Tennessee  Valley  came  the  intelligent  and  educated 
people  of  the  South.  Then  there  were  the  Moun- 
taineers, a  class  of  people  with  their  own  history  and 
traditions  peculiar  to  themselves,  in  manners,  habits 
and  customs  and  physiognomy,  and  widely  different 
from  the  educated  whites  as  a  people  can  be  who  have 
descended  from  a  common  stock. 

They  are  mostly  very  illiterate  and  very  poor, 
but  very  independent  in  spirit,  and  quickly  resent  an 
insult  or  an  injury.  They  usually  have  large  fami- 
lies and  live  in  a  very  primitive  style.  The  men 
cultivate  a  few  acres  of  ground  in  the  little  val- 
leys, raise  a  little  com,  a  "patch  of  tobacco,"  a  pig 
or  two,  and  a  cow. 

The  women  are  the  burden  bearers.  They  raise 
chickens,  attend  the  gardens,  weave  the  sheeps  wool 
into  clothing,  and  often  spin  the  yarn  and  make  it 
after  woven  into  garments. 

"We  had  another  meeting  in  the  afternoon  and  it 
was  a  memorable  occasion.  The  Lord's  presence  was 
so  manifest  among  the  people  that  when  an  invitation 
was  given  for  all  who  desired  to  be  Christians,  and 
wanted  the  prayer  of  the  church,  hundreds  arose  at 


300  Genef^al  Wheeler, 

almost  the  same  time.  Then  all  were  invited  to  come 
together  at  one  place  who  desired  us  to  pray  for  them. 
And  many  came,  among  them  General  Joseph  Wheel- 
er's  daughter,  and  before  this  Sabbath  meeting  con- 
cluded many  gave  public  testimony  to  the  saving 
power  of  grace,  among  this  number  was  the  daughter 
of  General  Wheeler  above  mentioned. 

General  Joseph  Wheeler  was  at  the  meeting  with 
his  family,  and  though  a  member  of  Church  he  arose 
with  many  others  as  desiring  our  prayers.  While 
we  were  holding  meetings  in  Lawrence  County,  and 
he  was  canvassing  the  district,  and  was  a  candidate 
for  Congress,  we  were  told  that  he  canceled  some  of 
his  engagements  to  attend  our  meetings.  He  came  to 
the  meetings  a  number  of  times.  We  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  dining  with  him  near  Mountain  Home,  at  his 
summer  cottage,  and  found  him  much  of  a  gentle- 
man. At  the  close  of  the  *' Spanish- American  War'' 
he  sent  us  his  photograph,  which  appears  on  the  op- 
posite page.  He  was  our  personal  friend.  We  con- 
tinued our  meetings.  One  week  after  the  Sabbath 
mentioned,  many  found  peace  in  believing,  and  an 
impetus  was  given  the  good  work  commenced  by  our 
dear  friends  William  and  Docia  Wooton.  The  whole 
of  Lawrence  County  was  reached,  and  from  many 
towns  and  places  came  pressing  calls  from  ministers 
and  others,  indeed  from  all  classes  to  come  and  hold 
meetings  with  them  if  for  only  a  few  days. 

Following  is  a  petition  from  the  town  of  Hills- 
boro  with  more  than  one  hundred  and  twenty  names 
signed  to  it,  many  of  them  not  members  of  any 
church,  pious  and  sinners  alike  calling  for  us,  among 
them  some  saloon-keepers.  We  cannot  record  the  list 
of  names,  but  it  was  the  general  sentiment  of  a  whole 
community  asking  us  to  come  and  hold  gospel  meet- 
ings with  them.    We  could  not  answer  but  few  of  the 


Genekal  Joseph  Wheeler 


» 


i 

4.- 


Come  and  Help  Us.  301 

calls  that  came  to  us.    It  seemed  to  be  the  heart  cry 
of  a  hungry  people,  calling  for  help. 

Hillshoro,  Alabama. 

I  here  copy  the  invitation  that  had  the  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  names  signed  to  it. 

**HiLLSBORO,  Alabama,  Sept.  10th,  1884. 
**Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame: 

**We,  the  imdersigned  citizens  of  Hillsboro  and 
vicinity,  feeling  that  you  can  accomplish  great  good 
in  our  community  if  you  will  only  consent  to  come 
and  spend  some  days  with  us  before  you  return  to 
your  Northern  home,  desire  in  this  way  to  express 
our  wish  to  have  you  come  to  us  from  Mountain 
Home  soon  as  you  can  and  spend  as  much  time  among 
us  as  you  conveniently  can."  (Then  follows  the  120 
names.) 

We  appointed  a  meeting  for  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  when  we  arrived  we  found  the  meeting 
house  full,  and  all  around  the  house  and  windows 
was  crowded  with  masses  of  people.  It  seemed  that 
there  was  an  invisible  presence  among  them,  calling 
to  repentance  and  turning  them  to  the  testimony  of 
he  Lord.  We  began  speaking  as  soon  as  we  entered 
jthe  room,  for  it  appeared  that  if  we  held  our  peace 
the  stones  would  cry  out;  every  heart  and  mind  in 
that  audience  was  ready  and  anxious  to  receive  the 
Gospel  message.  God  moved  upon  the  hearts  of  the 
people,  and  we  were  reminded  that  times  and  seasons 
are  not  at  our  command  and  though  we  are  admon- 
ished to  sow  beside  all  waters,  not  knowing  which 
shall  prosper,  yet  there  are  times  when  all  things 
combine  to  help  or  hinder  the  work  of  the  Lord,  and 
this  was  one  of  the  times  when  the  field  was  truly 
ripe  to  the  harvest. 


302  Pastors  at  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

The  Lord  was  opening  for  us  a  wide  door  to 
preach  the  Gospel  in  the  Southern  States.  After 
holding  our  two  meetings  at  Hillsboro  to  good  satis- 
faction, and  seeing  souls  converted,  and  the  churches 
greatly  revived,  we  returned  to  our  home  in  Ohio. 

Cleveland,  Ohio,  January  1st,  1885. 

January  1st,  1885,  went  to  the  city  of  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  to  be  pastors  of  Friends  Church.  We  remained 
at  Cleveland  all  winter,  and  during  the  winter  held 
a  series  of  meetings.  There  were  always  three  meet- 
ings during  the  Sabbath  day,  and  a  meeting  on  Wed- 
nesday evening  denominated  *'The  Prayer  Meet- 
ing.'' The  young  people's  meeting  Sabbath  after- 
noon was  generally  conducted  by  Walter  Malone. 

This  meeting  had  been  continued  without  in- 
teruption  since  1882,  the  time  we  held  our  first  re- 
vival meetings  there,  many  young  men  and  women  in 
this  Sabbath  afternoon  meeting  were  active  revival 
workers,  and  the  Lord  used  them  in  the  conversion 
of  souls.  There  was  also  a  very  large  Sabbath  school. 
All  the  meetings  above  mentioned  might  be  consid- 
ered revival  meetings.  Esther  or  myself  preached  a 
sermon  every  Sabbath  in  the  morning  and  at  night. 
Esther  preached  mostly.  We  always  left  room  for 
the  exercise  of  the  membership  gifts  and  prayer  and 
testimony  was  of  frequent  occurrence  in  the  body  of 
the  meeting. 

All  might  speak  and  all  might  prophesy.  The 
Lord  was  marvelously  with  us.  There  were  conver- 
sions almost  every  week,  and  people  applying  for 
membership  with  Friends.  This  work  at  Cleveland 
was  a  most  delightful  one.  The  spiritual  tide  was 
like  a  full  stream  from  never  failing  springs. 

Many  prominent  people  from  other  churches 
regularly  attended  the  Sabbath  morning  meetings. 


Freedom  in  Meetings.  303 

There  was  ever  the  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  that 
drew  the  people  to  the  house  of  the  Lord.  The  re- 
vival spirit  had  not  abated  since  the  wonderful  meet- 
ings held  here  more  than  three  years  before.  In 
March  it  became  necessary  for  me  to  go  home  and 
attend  to  some  household  affairs.  Esther  remained 
at  Cleveland  and  preached  each  Sabbath  day  and 
took  the  general  oversight  of  the  increasing  flock. 
The  meetings  continued  to  increase  in  numbers,  until 
the  aisles  had  to  be  filled  with  chairs  each  Sabbath. 
During  this  summer  Esther  preached  a  memorial 
sermon  on  General  U.  S.  Grant,  an  account  of  which 
we  copy,  taken  from  the  Cleveland  Plain  Dealer. 

"Eloquent  Tribute  to  the  Memory  of  General  Grant 
hy  a  Woman  in  a  Quaker  Church/' 

Of  all  the  eulogies  on  the  life  of  General  Grant, 
I  have  read  none  more  tender,  more  just,  and  more 
eloquent,  than  the  one  I  heard  delivered  in  the 
Friends  Meetinghouse  on  Cedar  avenue,  on  Sunday 
last  by  that  peerless  Evangelist,  Mrs.  Frame,  in  the 
course  of  which  she  reviewed  the  life  and  achieve- 
ments of  many  great  men  of  the  past  and  the  present, 
in  our  own  and  in  foreign  countries,  on  the  field  and 
in  the  church,  and  in  the  state,  contrasting  them  with 
a  very  broad,  comprehensive  and  appreciative  view 
of  the  life  of  General  Grant,  and  of  his  achievements 
as  a  citizen,  as  a  soldier  and  a  statesman.  She  said : 
''Great  crises  make  great  men.  The  American  con- 
flict was  a  great  crisis,  but  it  was  not  great  enough 
to  make  a  great  commander  out  of  General  Grant ;  it 
only  gave  him  an  opportunity  of  coming  out  from 
obscurity  and  showing  to  the  world  of  what  kind  of 
material  he  was  made,  and  of  inciting  him  to  deeds 
of  valor  which  are  today  the  admiration  of  the  world. 


304      Memorial  Sermon  for  General  Grant, 

It  was  said  of  Wilberf  orce  that  he  went  up  to  his  God 
with  the  shackles  of  eight  hundred  thousand  West 
India  slaves  in  his  hands;  but  of  General  Grant  it 
may  be  said  that  he  went  sweeping  through  the  gates 
into  the  city,  with  the  plaudits  and  hosannahs  of  more 
than  fifty  millions  of  American  citizens,  once  divided 
by  the  ruthless  hand  of  secession,  but  now  reimited 
by  his  valor  as  a  soldier  and  his  wisdom  as  a  states- 
man, constituting  these  United  States  as  a  unity,  and 
a  sovereignty,  a  theater  upon  which  stupendous 
achievements  are  yet  to  be  accomplished.'* 

The  climax  of  Mrs.  Frame's  eloquent  address 
was  reached  with  a  tender  and  touching  reference  to 
the  "Great  Conunander"  of  another  army  that  won 
a  battle  for  Christianity,  in  a  war,  not  of  a  single 
campaign,  or  of  only  a  few  years,  but  of  centuries,  to 
his  cross,  and  passion,  to  his  death  and  burial,  his 
resurrection  and  ascension  and  his  coronation. 

"All  hail  the  power  of  Jesus'  name, 
Let  angels  prostrate  fall, 
Bring  forth  the  royal  diadem, 
And  crown  him  Lord  of  all." 

I  regret  there  was  no  reporter  present  to  give 
this  eloquent  tribute  to  the  memory  of  General  Grant 
a  place  in  your  paper— a  verbatim  report.  Mrs. 
Frame's  allusion  to  the  memories  of  the  war,  and  her 
veneration  for  the  dead  soldier,  are  worthy  of  a  place 
on  any  page  of  history  that  will  ever  be  written  of  the 
great  warrior  and  statesman." 

During  the  winter  before  I  went  home  we  held 
some  revival  meetings  at  the  little  villages  of  Bed 
ford  and  Macedonia,  twenty  or  more  miles  from 
Cleveland.    These  meetings  were  held  in  the  M.  E. 
Church,  Brother  Campbell  was  pastor. 

We  would  go  out  Monday  morning  and  remain 
until  Saturday,  and  one  would  come  to  Cleveland  to 


Meetings  at  Bedford.  305 

be  there  on  the  Sabbath.  These  meetings  were 
crowned  with  great  success.  Many  were  converted, 
some  of  the  chief  citizens,  one  among  whom  was 
Judge  Updegraff.  These  meetings  continued  three 
weeks  at  Bedford  and  two  weeks  at  Macedonia. 

This  work  of  holding  two  meetings  each  day  and 
attending  all  the  meetings  at  the  Cleveland  meeting 
house  was  very  taxing,  but  precious  to  us. 

Mother  Gordon's  Death, 

While  I  was  at  home  and  Esther  at  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  Father  and  Mother  Gordon  came  to  visit  us, 
and  remained  until  mother  died.  She  was  in  delicate 
health  when  she  came  and  she  grew  gradually  worse 
and  was  soon  stricken  with  paralysis. 

Esther  came  home  once  before  mother  was  taken 
down  and  confined  to  her  room.  She  remained  a 
week  and  then  returned  to  Cleveland, 

How  much  thought,  and  feeling,  and  love,  and 
solicitation,  and  comfort,  was  crowded  into  that  one 
brief  week  no  one  can  ever  know,  unless  they  have 
loved  ivith  the  intensity  with  which  she  loved  her  oivn 
dear  mother. 

But  she  felt  that  the  Lord's  work  called  her  again 
to  the  church  at  Cleveland,  and  she  returned  for  a 
time  purposing  to  come  back  as  soon  as  she  could 
arrange  to  leave.  Mother  became  worse  and  it  was 
evident  that  the  end  was  approaching,  and  that  the 
loving  Christian  mother,  the  devoted  and  faithful 
wife,  the  true  servant  of  God,  would  be  with  us  but 
a  little  longer.  Esther  came,  lout  mother  was  uncon- 
scious. Stricken  with  paralysis,  she  soon  passed 
away.  She  lived  the  life  of  the  righteous  and  died 
the  death  of  the  holy.    How  truly  could  it  be  said :   .. 


306  Esther  Resigns  Pastorate, 

"Bright  angels  are  from  glory  come, 
They're  round  her  bed,  and  in  her  room 
They  came  to  waft  her  spirit  home,  all  is  well !  all  is  well !" 

Sorrow  filled  the  hearts  of  all,  and  yet  we  did  not 
mourn  as  those  who  have  no  hope,  for  all  knew  that 
she  had  walked  through  morning's  glory  gate  and 
dwelt  with  God  in  Paradise.  We  had  the  little  worn, 
weary,  faithful  mother,  the  saint  and  Christian,  laid 
away  to  sleep  until  the  "Resurrection  moring,''  when 
she  shall  come  forth  in  the  likeness  of  Christ's  glori- 
fied body. 

The  death  of  Mother  Gordon  was  a  great  shock 
to  Esther.  She  had  been  preaching  twice  each  Sab- 
bath all  summer,  with  the  care  of  a  growing  church 
upon  her,  and  then  this  added  earthly  sorrow  coming 
upon  her,  seemed  for  a  time  more  than  she  could 
bear.  Yet  she  was  enabled  to  say,  **The  Lord  gave, 
and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away,  blessed  be  the  name  of 
the  Lord,''  and  she  soon  returned  to  her  work  in  the 
city  of  Cleveland  with  the  tears  yet  wetting  her 
cheeks;  there  she  cheered  and  comforted  others, 
while  her  own  dear  heart  was  fit  to  break.  I  remained 
at  home  until  October  and  then  went  to  Greenwich, 
twenty  miles  from  Cleveland,  and  held  a  two  weeks' 
series  of  meetings  for  a  little  band  of  Friends  at  that 
place. 

Esther  Resigns  as  Pastor  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  1885. 

The  28th  of  December,  1885,  Esther  resigned  as 
pastor  of  the  meeting  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  on  account 
of  poor  health,  and  came  home.  She  felt  she  must 
have  a  little  rest.  Following  is  an  account  of  her  last 
Sabbath  with  the  dear  friends  where  we  had  labored 


Last  Sabhath  in  Cleveland.  307 

in  the  Gospel,  and  where  she  had  been  alone  for  the 
last  few  months. 

''Mrs.  Frame,  the  Eloquent  Woman  Evangelist's 
Last  Sunday  in  Cleveland.' ' 

*'The  Plain  Dealer  has  several  times  called  to 
the  attention  of  its  readers  to  a  little  church  around 
the  comer  on  Cedar  avenue,  which  is  filled  to  over- 
flowing every  Sunday  by  as  sincere,  as  earnest  and 
as  devout  a  congregation  of  worshipers  as  can  be 
found  in  the  city  of  Cleveland,  or  elsewhere. 

''This  is  the  'Friends  Meetinghouse,'  and  the 
preacher  for  the  time  being  is  Mrs.  Frame,  known  as 
the  'Eloquent  Evangelist,'  and  of  whom  it  is  not  too 
much  to  say  that  she  is  a  very  attractive,  a  very  able, 
and  a  very  eloquent  preacher.  Her  sermons  are  well 
prepared  and  well  delivered.  Her  elocution  is  mag- 
netic, solemn  and  impressive,  and  she  never  fails  to 
hold  to  the  very  last  sentence  the  fixed  attention  of 
her  audience.  Indeed,  she  hardly  utters  a  dozen 
words  before  every  one  who  hears  her  knows  that  she 
is  thorough  master  of  the  situation— out  of  the  pul- 
pit the  modest,  retiring  woman;  in  the  pulpit,  per- 
fectly self-possessed  and  would  be  little  disturbed  if 
she  were  preaching  to  a  convention  of  Bishops. 

"Her  sermons  are  always  logical  and  full  of 
thought,  life,  animation,  point  and  effect;  and  in 
vigor  of  style,  and  in  flow  of  language,  and  in  afflu- 
ence of  illustration,  few  orators  either  in  the  pulpit 
or  on  the  rostrum,  are  her  equals. 

"Mrs.  Frame  is  eminently  catholic  in  spirit,  and 
does  not  believe  that  all  of  Christianity  is  centered  in 
the  Quaker  Church,  of  which  she  is  an  honored  mem- 
ber, or  in  any  other  commimion,  and  as  a  natural 
consequence  she  is  honored  and  loved  by  the  whole 


308      Fifteenth  Street,  Richmond,  Indiana. 

Christian  family,  of  whatever  name  or  denomina- 
tion, wherever  she  has  labored  and  is  known. 

''The  people  to  whom  Mrs.  Frame  has  been 
preaching,  and  who  have  been  feasting  on  the  rich 
clusters  of  eschol  under  her  ministry,  especially 
those  she  has  gathered  into  the  church,  will  pro- 
f  oimdly  regret  the  necessity  that  will  soon  simder  the 
tie  that  has  united  minister  and  people. 

"But  all  things  are  mutable,  and  Mrs.  Frame, 
as  an  Evangelist,  has  heard  the  Macedonian  cry  for 
help  from  many  quarters  and  will  take  her  leave  of 
her  Cleveland  friends  after  preaching  to  them  for 
the  last  time  on  next  Sabbath  morning  and  evening." 

Richmond,  Indiana, 

On  January  18th,  1886,  we  commenced  a  series 
of  meetings  at  Friends  Yearly  Meetinghouse,  15th 
Street,  Richmond,  Indiana.  It  had  been  seventeen 
years  since  the  great  revival  at  Richmond,  of  which 
an  account  is  given  in  another  part  of  these  remin- 
iscences, and  many  of  the  dear  friends  who  had  at- 
tended the  meetings  there  had  gone  to  their  eternal 
rest,  some  still  remained  to  assist  us  in  the  blessed 
work  of  the  Lord. 

But  we  found  even  at  the  head  center  of  our 
yearly  meeting  that  Satan  had  entered  into  the  fold 
—not  sparing  the  flock— and  church  history  had  re- 
peated itself,  ''and  some  had  departed  from  the  faith 
giving  heed  to  seducing  spirits  and  doctrines  of 
devils,''  in  the  form  of  "Spiritism." 

Our  meetings  were  large  from  the  beginning, 
and  increased  until  the  large  room  in  which  they  were 
held  was  filled  to  overflowing.  Though  these  meet- 
ings were  held  in  a  city  that  had  always  been  more  or 
less  used  to  women  as  preachers  since  the  first  settle- 


Opposers.  309 

ment,  we  found  some  leading  religious  teachers  and 
ministers  who  opposed  women's  preaching. 

A  minister  of  another  denomination  wrote  and 
published  an  article  in  one  of  the  Richmond  papers 
against  women  preaching  while  our  meetings  were 
in  progress. 

To  give  some  little  idea  of  the  oppposition  to  the 
work  of  the  Lord  here  at  this  time,  I  copy  part  of  an 
article  written  by  a  friend  in  answer  to  the  opposers. 

From  the  Richmond  Item. 
^' Some  People  Disturbed,'' 

Mr.  Editor:— Having  gotten  Tom  Pain's  de- 
fender disposed  of  for  the  present,  and  we  rather 
hope  he  will  not  attack  a  Christian  woman  again  im- 
less  he  has  something  better  to  defend  than  Tom 
Pain's  book.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  believe  fully  in 
the  spirituality  of  the  gospel  and  the  operations  of 
God's  Holy  Spirit  on  the  minds  of  the  people.  But 
the  kind  of  spiritualism  that  Saul  and  the  Witch  of 
Endor  were  tampering  with  they  have  no  use  for  it. 

No  doubt  the  old  prophet,  Samuel,  who  Saul 
wanted  to  see,  was  out  of  Saul's  reach,  the  Witch's 
and  the  Devil's.  And  now  comes  this  other  fellow, 
like  one  bom  out  of  due  time,  and  wants  to  know 
what  right  a  woman  has  to  preach  the  Gospel. 

*'Whoareyou?  Where  did  you  come  from,  my 
brother,  that  you  are  nearly  two  thousand  years  be- 
hind the  times  % 

'*I  recommend  you  to  read  an  old  book  called  the 
Bible.  Paul  will  tell  you  all  about  how  women  should 
conduct  themselves  when  they  are  preaching.  He  had 
women  with  him  preaching  the  Gospel.       W.  H." 

This  will  suffice  to  give  some  idea  of  the  opposi- 
tion. 


310  Press  Opinions. 

There  was  a  most  gracious  work  in  the  church 
and  city.  A  large  number  of  people  professed  con- 
version, many  professed  Sanctification,  and  others 
were  renewed  and  the  church  vitalized. 

We  had  most  remarkable  children's  meetings, 
and  the  Lord's  presence  was  wonderfully  manifested 
among  them  in  converting  power  and  we  had  joyful 
testimony  from  these  young  people,  whose  souls  were 
filled  with  the  love  of  Christ,  and  we  were  made  to 
remember  the  triumphant  entry  of  the  Saviour  into 
Jerusalem,  when  the  children  cried  **Hosannah!'' 

Revival  Meetings  at  15th  Street. 

^^Meeting  Conducted  'by  Nathan  T.  and  Esther  G. 

Frame.'^ 

"The  revival  at  15th  street  meeting  house  is 
largely  attended.  Last  night  the  large  audience  room 
was  soon  filled  with  one  of  Richinond's  best  au- 
diences; a  more  intelligent  company  of  young  peo- 
ple, with  many  of  the  elderly  never  sat  facing  Mrs. 
Frame  in  this  city.  The  services  commenced  by  sing- 
ing, following  that  Mr.  Frame  led  in  prayer. 

Then  Mrs.  Frame  in  a  clear,  mellow  voice,  an- 
nounced her  text  in  Rev.  22,  17th.  "And  the  Spirit 
and  the  bride  say  come.''  Mrs.  Frame  is  at  no  loss 
to  elucidate  her  subject  with  clearness  and  power. 
Talk  of  eloquence  in  this  city.  There  are  no  preach- 
ers that  will  bear  comparison  with  her  in  any  of  our 
churches. 

She  is  complete  master  of  her  subject,  and  holds 
her  great  audience  spell-bound  while  she  continues 
to  preach. 

The  meetings  at  Fifteenth  Street  continue  with 
great  interest.    Last  night  the  services  began  by 


Many  Conversions.  311 

singing  old  fashioned  hymns.  Mr.  Frame  offered 
prayer  in  much  power;  in  fact  every  word  carried 
with  it  a  spirit  of  true  devotion.  Mr.  Frame  then 
read  a  short  lesson  from  the  13th  of  Mathew,  and  pre- 
sented a  few  thoughts  briefly." 

Meetings  at  Fifteenth  Street,  Richmond,  Indiana. 

Then  Mrs.  Frame  preached  one  of  the  most  pow- 
erful, logical  and  convincing  sermons  to  which  we 
have  yet  listened  from  the  24th  Chapter  of  Mathew, 
37th  verse,  *'But  as  the  days  of  Noe  were,  so  shall 
the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be."  The  large  audi- 
ence were  greatly  impressed  by  the  truths  uttered 
so  clearly,  and  at  the  close  of  her  sermon  many  came 
forward  for  prayer. 

The  meetings  conducted  at  Fifteenth  Street  by 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  continue  to  grow  in  interest. 
Much  good  is  being  done  in  these  meetings  and  there 
is  a  perceptible  thawing  out  and  tendering  of  hearts 
of  the  stiff,  stubborn,  self-righteous  people  who  be- 
long to  the  churches  in  this  city. 

There  have  been  many  conversions  since  these 
meetings  began.  The  meetings  are  of  great  spiritual 
blessings.  There  is  ever  a  remarkable  simplicity  in 
the  presentation  of  the  Gospel  messages  of  these  won- 
derfully successful  evangelists,  and  their  power  to 
bring  souls  to  Christ  increases  as  the  years  go  by,  and 
many  hundreds  are  being  saved  every  year  in  their 
mQQiing^.— Richmond  Telegram. 

Other  Meetings. 

We  were  at  home  from  the  16th  of  March  until 
the  16th  of  April.  During  this  time  we  attended  our 
monthly  meeting  and  also  spent  one  Sabbath  at  Wil- 
mington, Ohio,  where  we  preached  twice. 


312  Other  Meetings. 

We  should  have  been  in  a  series  of  meetings  but 
from  the  fact  that  Esther  was  not  well  enough  to  be 
in  meetings  all  the  time  this  month. 

Portland,  Indiana. 


We  went  to  Portland,  Indiana,  as  soon  as  Es- 
ther's health  would  allow;  indeed  she  was  sick  when 
we  first  arrived,  but  she  was  soon  better. 

Quite  a  number  gave  their  names  to  become  mem- 
bers of  the  church  at  this  time,  among  them  some  of 
the  most  influential  citizens  of  Portland.  The  meet- 
ings were  said  to  be  a  great  blessing  to  the  church  and 
community. 

Since  our  return  from  Mountain  Home  in  Ala- 
bama we  had  many  calls  for  meetings  in  the  Southern 
States. 


Alabama,  313 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Cherokee,  Alabama,  1886. 

On  July  20th  we  left  Jamestown,  Ohio,  for 
Cherokee,  Alabama,  to  hold  a  series  of  meetings  in 
a  Southern  Methodist  church.  When  we  arrived 
we  were  met  at  the  station  by  Brother  Shoemaker, 
the  pastor,  and  a  large  delegation  of  his  members, 
and  when  we  were  introduced  to  them  they  gave  us  a 
warm  welcome  to  their  town.  We  were  conveyed  to 
Dr.  Wheeler's,  where  we  were  entertained  with  true 
Southern  hospitality  and  all  our  wants  were  supplied. 

Our  coming  had  been  published  and  the  whole 
town  and  surrounding  country  were  anxious  to  see 
the  '^Quaker  preachers  from  the  North,"  and  espe- 
cially the  *^  Quaker  ivoman/^ 

From  the  commencement  of  the  meetings  until 
their  conclusion,  both  morning  and  at  night,  the 
house  was  filled  and  often  many  more  came  than 
could  be  accommodated.  These  meetings  continued 
only  twelve  days. 

During  this  time  the  political  canvass  for  Con- 
gressional candidates  occurred.  The  people  were 
mostly  Democrats. 

While  one  of  the  morning  meetings  was  in  ses- 
sion and  we  were  having  a  blessed  occasion  a  man 
who  was  a  backslider  was  revived  and  filled  with  the 
Spirit  and  made  the  house  resound  with  his  shouts, 
and  in  the  fullness  of  his  joy  declared  "That  he  be- 
lieved the  Lord  could  save  a  Republican  as  well  as  a 
Democrat/^ 

We  praise  the  name  of  the  Lord  that  salvation  is 
for  all,  both  Republicans  and  Democrats,  and  all 
other  political  sinners,  if  they  will  fear  Him  and 
work  righteousness. 


314  Listens  to  a  Woman. 

While  our  meetings  were  in  progress  Dr.  Tagert, 
a  minister,  and  one  of  the  professors  of  Vanderbilt 
University,  came  to  Cherokee  on  business,  and  being 
a  personal  friend  of  Dr.  Wheeler,  where  we  made 
our  home,  came  with  the  family  to  meeting  one  night. 
We  invited  him  to  a  seat  on  the  platform  with  us,  but 
he  would  not  come,  as  he  said  he  could  not  endorse  a 
woman  preaching.  But  he  sat  in  the  meeting  and 
listened  to  the  sermon  falling  from  the  lips  of  a  Chris- 
tian woman  called  of  God  and  annointed  to  preach 
the  Gospel.  His  soul  was  filled  with  joy  and  all  his 
prejudices  were  swept  away,  and  he  understood  as 
never  before  what  Joel  meant  in  his  prophetical 
utterances,  where  he  declares,  "And  your  sons  and 
your  daughters  shall  prophesy"  (preach). 

Cherokee,  Ala'bama,  1886. 

He  attended  the  meeting  next  morning  and  sat 
with  us  on  the  platform  and  gave  his  full  sanction  to 
the  meeting  and  endorsed  the  '* woman  preacher." 

In  the  afternoon  he  and  Dr.  Wheeler  and  an- 
other professor  from  a  college  took  their  Greek  Tes- 
taments and  closeted  themselves  in  a  room  and 
searched  the  Scriptures  to  see  what  their  Greek 
Testaments  said  with  regard  to  women  preaching  and 
concerning  women's  ministry. 

When  they  came  out  of  their  room  they  declared 
they  were  convinced  from  the  teachings  of  the  New 
Testament  that  women  were  called  to  preach  the  same 
as  men. 

Many  of  the  church  members  in  Cherokee  were 
in  a  backslidden  state  and  there  was  a  division  on  ac- 
count of  some  church  business.  This  was  healed. 
Scores  of  sinners  were  converted  and  joined  the 
church. 


The  People  Stirred:  315 

There  was  much  prejudice  here  against  women 
preaching  and  much  discussion  for  and  against  the 
meetings  on  that  account.  The  newspapers  took  up 
the  discussion  and  there  was  a  number  of  articles 
written  for  and  against  women  as  ministers.  Fol- 
lowing is  an  article  written  for  the  Southern  Chris- 
tian Advocate,  the  leading  paper  of  the  Methodist 
Church  South: 

(For  the  Advocate.) 

*^Mrs.  Frame,  the  Evangelist, 

**The  writer  has  just  returned  from  Cherokee,  a 
village  located  on.  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  Rail- 
way. The  town  is  stirred  from  center  to  circumfer- 
ence, and  in  all  the  region  round  about  one  all  absorb- 
ing topic  tells  the  deep  interest  that  engages  the 
hearts  and  minds  of  the  people.  The  topic  is  the 
famous  female  evangelist,  and  the  work  of  the  Lord 
in  her  hands.  Her  labors  are  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord. 
Her  work  must  make  a  memorable  event  in  the  lives 
of  many  of  the  people.  The  old  and  the  young  alike 
hasten  to  hear  the  gracious  words  that  fall  from  her 
loving  lips. 

**The  critic  and  the  curious  come,  come  and  lin- 
ger, and  listen,  and  leave,  only  to  say,  'Never  woman 
spake  like  this  woman.'  Slender  and  erect,  attired 
with  the  most  faultless  neatness  and  simplicity,  her 
face  beaming  with  a  benevolence,  a  faith  and  peace 
that  seem  not  of  earth,  she  stands  before  her  congre- 
gation without  the  least  embarrassment  or  the  slight- 
est trace  of  affectation.  She  speaks  with  such  perfect 
ease  and  composure  and  with  such  singular  earnest- 
ness and  sweetness  of  spirit  that  her  audience  never 
flags  and  their  interest  never  wearies. 


316  The  Woman  Preacher, 

**  Sometimes  she  rises  into  such  strains  of  elo- 
quence and  pathos  that  the  fountains  of  the  heart's 
great  depth  are  broken  up  and  the  soul  is  filled  with 
unutterable  emotions.  I  have  never  heard  a  voice  so 
sweet  and  musical  and  tender  proclaim  from  the  pul- 
pit the  everlasting  Gospel  of  the  Son  of  God.  She  is 
marvelously  gifted  in  prayer.  It  is  her  way,  some- 
times, to  descend  from  the  pulpit,  and,  moving  like 
an  angel  of  mercy  and  peace  among  the  people,  she 
exhorts  one  here,  and  pleads  with  another  there,  or 
as  someone  tells  of  peculiar  trials,  she  drops  on  her 
knees,  and  for  a  moment  pours  out  her  soul  with  a 
fervency  and  power  that  no  unaided  effort  could  com- 
mand—it is  the  gift  of  God ;  and  she  has  not  yet  risen 
from  her  knees  before  she  is  speaking  to  another. 
She  utilizes  every  moment. 

Cherokee,  Alabama,  1886. 

**Does  her  preaching  do  good'?  Are  her  labors 
vain  in  the  Lord  %  Let  the  altar,  crowded  with  peni- 
tents, answer. 

*'Let  the  questions  then  reply  in  the  words  of  a 
timid  woman,  who,  standing  up  in  the  congregation, 
beautiful,  and  brave  for  the  joy  that  thrilled  her  soul, 
declare  that  while  the  sweet  sister  declared  the  Word 
of  God  more  perfectly,  her  heart  took  hold  upon  the 
truth,  she  trusted  the  Saviour  and  was  made  to  re- 
joice with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  .glory.  By 
their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them,  and  by  her  fruit  she 
is  known. 

'*  Would  you  shut  the  pulpit  against  these  holy 
women  blessed  of  the  Lord  ?  Nay !  Nay !  The  com- 
mon people  hear  her  gladly,  and  having  witnessed  the 
blessedness  of  her  pulpit  ministry,  they  will  not  be- 
lieve that  Paul's  utterance  of  the  Corrinthian  woman. 


Florence,  Alabama.  317 

*  It  is  a  shame  for  a  woman  to  speak  in  the  church/ 
was  meant  to  apply  to  a  people  for  all  ages.  They 
would  rather  review  old  theories  and  conclusions  and 
see  whether  we  may  not  in  some  way  be  teaching  for 
doctrines  the  commandments  of  men.  They  would 
rather  believe  that  in  those  last  days  God  has  chosen 
the  weak  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  things 
which  are  mighty. 

^'Sheffield,  Alabama,  August  3d,  1886.*' 

Florence,  Alabama,  1886. 

From  Cherokee  we  went  to  the  beautiful  city  of 
Florence,  on  the  Tennessee  River.  Our  meetings 
were  held  at  the  Methodist  Church  South.  Brother 
Andrews  was  pastor.  Florence  is  an  old  town  and 
the  seat  of  an  institution  of  learning,  a  cultivated 
community.  In  no  town  of  the  North  or  South,  of 
the  same  size,  is  there  a  larger  number  of  educated 
and  refined  women. 

There  was  some  prejudice  against  a  woman 
preaching,  but  the  people  came  to  the  meetings  and 
heard  for  themselves  and  soon  the  prejudice  was 
gone.  The  meetings  day  and  night  were  crowded 
with  the  best  people  of  the  town. 

College  professors,  ministers,  judges,  lawyers, 
and  the  educated  of  both  sexes,  as  well  as  all  others, 
came,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  was  made  manifest  and 
swept  through  their  hearts,  and  many  who  only  came 
to  see  and  hear  remained  to  pray  and  consecrate 
themselves  to  the  Lord  and  find  Him  in  the  pardon  of 
their  sins. 

We  made  our  home  at  T.  Simpson's,  a  leading 
lawyer  of  Florence,  and  we  shall  ever  cherish  the 
memory  of  Mr.  and  Mrs  Simpson  for  their  love  and 
tenderness  to  us  while  at  their  dear  home,  and  also 


318  Plantation  Melodies. 

that  of  their  dear  daughters.  God  ever  bless  these 
dear  Southern  Friends. 

Brother  Andrews,  the  pastor,  was  at  all  times 
the  Christian  gentleman.  He  is  one  of  God's  faithful 
ministers  and  his  wife  is  a  godly  woman  and  true 
helpmate  in  the  Lord.  We  held  one  meeting  while 
here  with  the  colored  churches— the  Baptist  and 
Methodist  uniting.  There  were  no  white  people  at 
this  meeting  except  Brother  Andrews  and  a  few  of 
the  principal  members  of  his  church  who  accompa- 
nied us. 

This  meeting  was  a  most  blessed  one,  and  at  one 
time  while  Esther  was  preaching  there  was  such 
an  outburst  of  shouting  that  she  paused  for  a  time 
until  it  subsided. 

Their  singing  was  such  as  only  the  *^old  planta- 
tion" negroes  can  give  when  they  are  filled  with  the 
enthusiasm  that  the  Spirit  imparts.  They  at  first 
made  an  attempt  to  sing  like  the  white  folks,  but  we 
told  them  to  sing  their  own  plantation  melodies,  and 
they  did  sing,  all  of  them,  and  it  was  music. 

Esther  said  after  the  meeting  that  while  they 
sang  she  felt  like  she  was  walking  on  air— or  the 
**  wings  of  the  wind.'^ 

We  conclude  this  meager  account  of  our  meet- 
ings at  Florence  by  quoting  a  letter  from  a  corre- 
spondent of  the  Nashville,  Tennessee,  Union: 

The  correspondent  says : 

**I  wish  to  speak  especially  of  Mrs.  Frame,  who 
is  at  this  time  preaching  here  in  the  large  Methodist 
Church,  (she  is  a  Quaker)  and  every  time  preaches 
to  a  packed  house,  so  that  on  several  occasions  I  have 
had  a  good  opportunity  of  seeing  the  people. 

**In  all  my  travels  I  have  been  in  no  town  of  two 
thousand  people  where  so  many  cultured  faces  could 
be  seen  at  church.    This  Quaker  woman  has  preached 


Master  of  the  Situation.  319 

twice  a  day  for  ten  days.  I  have  heard  six  of  her 
sermons ;  these,  and  in  fact  the  whole  twenty  sermons 
preached,  as  I  understand,  have  been  entirely  inde- 
pendent in  thought  and  make-up. 

''Among  those  who  attend  her  preachings  are 
ministers  and  most  of  the  professional  men  of  the 
city,  together  with  all  the  cultivated  and  refined 
women,  and  they  would  rank  well  anywhere.  It  is 
not  saying  too  much  to  say  that  she  has  captured  the 
town.  The  hottest  day  and  the  hottest  night  the 
house  is  packed  long  before  preaching  time. 

''She  speaks  of  leaving  in  a  few  days,  but  the 
whole  town  are  begging  her  to  remain  and  calls  are 
coming  from  many  places  for  her ;  indeed  her  fame  is 
spreading  all  over  North  Alabama. 

"Whatever  novelty  there  was  at  first  has  worn 
off,  and  people  go  to  hear  her  as  they  do  to  hear  Sam 
Jones,  for  what  she  says,  and  the  way  she  says  it.  An 
appreciative  people  such  as  these  would  have  been 
satisfied  with  one  meeting  if  it  had  simply  been  a 
sermon  by  a  woman.  The  general  impression  here  is 
that  though  Paul  is  good  authority,  there  must  have 
been  some  limitation  or  reservation,  in  the  general 
declaration  that  it  is  a  shame  for  a  woman  to  speak 
in  public.  At  least  it  is  believed  here,  that  if  Paul 
had  seen  this  Quaker  woman  he  would  have  excepted 
her  out  of  the  inhibition.  This  entire  community, 
preachers  and  all,  have  rendered  judgment  on  the 
merits  without  considering  technicalities.  The  judg- 
ment is  like  the  judgment  of  a  strong  willed  jury, 
often  the  verdict  of  the  heart,  rather  than  that  of  the 
head.  They  all  evade  it  by  saying,  as  she  can  excel 
anybody  preaching,  that  ever  came  to  the  towm  on 
foot  or  horseback,  from  Conference  or  Presbjrtery, 
from  the  backwoods  or  the  Colleges,  they  will  give 


320  Fields  White  to  Harvest. 

her  license  to  preach,  and  put  her  up  to  fight  her  own 
battles  with  Paul. 

*'She  has  impressed  the  men  and  women,  and 
indeed  all  the  Christian  people  of  the  town,  that  she 
is  a  devotedly  pious  woman,  absorbed  in  her  work 
and  dead  to  the  world. 

''When  she  speaks  her  face  glows,  and  brightens, 
and  her  words  are  as  sweet  as  strains  of  music.  She 
is  as  eloquent  as  John  Moffet,  as  pleasing  and  elegant 
in  her  manner  as  Dr.  Price,  as  apt  in  her  illustra- 
tions as  Dr.  Kelly,  with  a  mind,  full  and  running  over 
with  information,  gathered  and  stored  at  every  turn 
in  life,  and  yet  the  whole  is  about  the  dying,  dead  and 
living  Saviour.  There  is  not  a  particle  of  self  in  her 
sermons,  there  is  no  effort  at  display  and  yet  every 
thought  is  a  beautiful  casket  and  every  word  is  a  well 
set  jewel.'' 

Tuscumhia,  Alabama,  1886. 

From  Florence  went  to  Tuscumbia,  Alabama, 
and  spent  one  week  with  Brother  Reed,  pastor  of  the 
M.  E.  Church  South.  The  membership  was  but  few 
and  not  much  Spiritual  life.  But  the  town  being  only 
about  three  miles  from  Florence,  and  a  short  distance 
from  Cherokee,  many  of  the  people  from  Tuscumbia 
had  attended  these  meetings.  The  house  was  filled 
at  once  and  crowded  to  repletion  each  night  after- 
ward while  we  remained,  and  on  Sabbath  and  Sab- 
bath night  many  people  could  not  obtain  admittance 
so  great  was  the  throng  of  people.  We  only  remained 
one  week. 

A  large  number  professed  conversion  and  some 
joined  the  Methodist  Church.  O,  the  himgering  and 
thirsting  of  these  people  to  hear  the  Gospel— they 
literally  pressed  us  to  remain  and  pleaded  earnestly 


The  North  Again.  321 

if  for  only  another  week.  But  we  could  not  remain. 
The  weather  was  intensely  warm,  as  it  was  the  month 
of  August. 

Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

We  went  home  and  remained  until  time  to  attend 
Indiana  Yearly  Meeting,  then  went  to  Des  Moines, 
Iowa,  to  hold  a  series  of  meetings  in  Friends  Church. 
These  meetings  were  of  great  interest  and  spiritual 
power.  The  house  was  crowded  from  the  commence- 
ment and  on  the  Sabbath  days  hundreds  were  not  able 
to  get  in  the  house.  Many  of  the  leading  ministers  of 
the  other  churches  attended  the  meetings. 

There  was  a  woman,  a  member  of  the  First 
Methodist  Church,  attended  our  meetings  when  here 
before.  She  had  a  son  who  drank  and  the  mother  was 
greatly  troubled  about  him,  and  had  asked  prayers 
on  his  behalf  a  number  of  times.  This  son  was  stiU 
unconverted.  Mrs.  Fife  now  came  to  our  meetings 
again  and  asked  us  to  pray  for  her  son,  at  the  same 
time  saying,  **I  do  not  know  that  you  will  care  to  hear 
me,  but  I  must  ask  on  behalf  of  my  son."  Prayers 
were  made,  earnest  prayers  for  Mrs.  Fife's  son,  and 
for  others  for  whom  petitions  had  been  asked,  that 
they  might  be  converted  at  this  series  of  meetings. 

One  stormy  night,  when  the  meeting  was  half 
through,  Mrs.  Fife's  son  came  into  the  meeting  par- 
tially intoxicated,  his  clothes  saturated  with  snow 
and  rain,  he  heard  a  part  of  the  sermon  and  when  we 
invited  seekers  forward,  and  many  had  come,  Esther 
went  to  him  and  said:  **Now  is  thy  time  to  become 
a  Christian."  He  replied,  *'Mrs.  Frame,  I  am  in  no 
condition  to  come  now."  But  Esther  insisted  on  his 
coming,  and  though  he  was  somewhat  intoxicated,  he 
finally  came  forward.    He  was  not  converted  that 


322  Earnest  Inquirers. 

night,  but  was  wonderfully  blessed  a  few  nights  after- 
ward, and  gave  public  testimony  that  God  had  saved 
him  in  answer  to  the  prayers  of  the  church,  and  those 
of  his  mother,  and  he  is  still  a  happy  Christian.  ^ '  Call 
upon  Me  in  the  time  of  trouble,  and  I  will  answer 
thee,  saith  the  Lord." 

There  was  a  Baptist  minister  attended  these 
meetings  and  had  become  so  discouraged  that  he  had 
given  up  his  ministry.  One  Sabbath  afternoon  he 
came  to  our  place  of  entertainment  to  see  us.  He 
said  I  want  the  Baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
desired  that  we  instruct  him  how  to  obtain  the  bless- 
ing. 

We  instructed  him  in  the  way  the  best  we  could, 
prayed  with  him,  and  told  him  that  the  Lord  could 
cleanse  him  from  all  sin,  and  fill  him  with  the  Holy 
Spirit.  We  cited  him  to  a  number  of  scriptural  texts 
on  the  subject.  When  he  left  us  he  said  I  will  dedi- 
cate myself  all  to  God  and  ask  the  Lord  to  fill  me  with 
the  spirit. 

In  a  day  or  two  he  came  back  and  told  us  the 
work  was  done,  that  the  Lord  had  filled  him  with  the 
spirit,  and  cleansed  his  heart,  and  he  was  not  only 
ready  to  preach,  but  he  rejoiced  that  the  Lord  had 
called  him.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  preaching, 
and  the  Lord  has  wonderfully  blessed  him  in  winning 
souls  to  Christ. 

O!  for  a  ministry  endued  with  power  from  on 
high,  and  a  sanctified  church,  then  we  should  see 
sinners  converted. 

Mr.  Park  Wilson,  who  was  State  Coal  Mine  In- 
spector, came  to  the  meetings  and  was  deeply  con- 
victed of  his  sins.  He  came  every  meeting  for  a  time, 
then  we  missed  him,  and  we  learned  that  he  had  just 
finished  a  fine  house  for  himself  and  moved  into  it, 
and  they  had  been  having  a  ball  and  card  party  to 


Park  Wilson.  323 

celebrate  the  occasion,  and  that  was  the  reason  for 
their  absence.  Then  in  one  of  the  morning  meetings, 
when  Mr.  Wilson  had  come  back,  Esther  asked  him 
if  he  was  a  Christian.  "No,  Madam,  I  am  not,"  was 
his  reply,  "I  wish  I  was." 

"Well,  come,  now,  and  give  yourself  to  the 
Lord,"  was  said  to  him.  "Oh,  Mrs.  Frame,  I  cannot, 
I  wish  I  could. "  "  Why  not  % ' '  was  asked  him.  ' '  Be- 
cause I  have  been  leading  my  family  down  to  hell," 
he  said.  "I  belong  to  a  card  party  club,  and  a  danc- 
ing club,  and  I  have  been  taking  my  family  with  me— 
do  you  think  God  would  forgive  such  a  sinner  as  I 
am  ?  "  "  Certainly  he  will  if  you  make  confession  and 
quit  your  sins ;  come,  let  us  kneel  and  pray." 

Park  Wilson  then  came  forward  and  again 
asked  the  question:  "Do  you  think  God  will  forgive 
me  if  I  ask  all  my  children  and  my  wife  to  forgive 
me."    He  had  four  beautiful  boys. 

He  now  called  for  me  and  said,  "Mr.  Frame,  will 
you  come  to  my  house  tomorrow  and  bum  all  my 
cards  ?  "  I  told  him  we  would  come.  We  prayed  with 
him  a  time,  and  he  was  converted.  Next  day  Esther 
and  myself,  with  some  Friends  went  to  his  house,  and 
he  asked  his  wife  to  bring  the  cards.  There  were  a 
number  of  "packs."  He  said  to  his  wife,  "I  do  not 
want  to  touch  them ;  they  have  nearly  ruined  me  and 
all  my  family."  We  took  the  cards  and  I  turned  to 
the  New  Testament  account  given  by  the  Apostle 
Paul— where  they  burned  the  bad  books,  and  when 
we  had  read  this  account  we  prayed,  and  then  threw 
the  cards  in  the  fire  and  they  were  burned. 

"Now,"  said  Park  Wilson,  "I  am  free."  The 
whole  family  were  converted  during  the  meetings. 
A  large  number  of  persons  joined  the  Friends  church 
while  many  went  to  other  churches.     The  Lord's 


324  Burning  the  Cards, 

power  was  creating  a  hungering  for  salvation  all  over 
the  city  and  among  the  members  of  all  the  churches. 

Emory  Miller,  the  pastor  of  the  First  M.  E. 
Church,  solicited  us  to  hold  a  series  of  meetings  at 
his  church  as  soon  as  ours  at  the  Friends  church  con- 
cluded. We  informed  him  that  we  had  a  number  of 
engagements  made,  but  would  think  and  pray  over 
the  matter  and  see  what  was  the  mind  of  the  Spirit. 
Then  Brother  Miller  said,  *^You  must  come  to  my 
people ;  you  are  the  first  and  only  evangelists  I  have 
ever  invited  to  my  church.  I  have  not  been  favorably 
impressed  by  the  work  of  many  of  the  evangelists 
that  I  have  known.  But  I  have  been  watching  your 
work  when  you  were  here  before,  and  in  other  places, 
and  I  am  in  full  maity  with  you,  and  must  have  you 
among  my  people.  I  know  the  Lord  is  in  this  invita- 
tion." Next  day  we  received  a  letter  from  Brother 
Miller  signed  by  himself  as  pastor,  and  by  all  the  offi- 
cial members  of  his  church. 

We  now  felt  the  Lord  was  calling  us  to  accept 
the  invitation,  and  we  sent  word  to  Brother  MiUer 
that  we  would  come  and  hold  a  series  of  meetings 
with  him.  The  meeting  house  is  one  of  the  largest  in 
the  state  of  Iowa.  It  has  a  seating  capacity  of  about 
fifteen  himdred  people,  aside  from  the  galleries. 
When  we  arrived  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  was  already 
at  work  among  the  people ;  they  had  felt  the  overflow 
from  the  meetings  on  the  East  Side. 

So  from  the  first  the  large  house  was  filled  with 
an  intelligent  and  cultivated  audience. 

On  the  first  Sabbath  at  the  morning  sermon  we 
made  a  call  for  the  membership  to  come  forward,  and 
consecrate  themselves  to  God  for  work  at  these  meet- 
ings, and  the  people  came  forward  in  mass,  and  we 
had  a  most  blessed  consecration  meeting  and  an  out- 
pouring of  the  Holy  Spirit.    During  this  series  of 


M.  E.  Quarterly  Conference  Endorsement.     325 

meetings  several  hundred  were  converted.  We  made 
our  home  at  Brother  and  Sister  Fife's— and  a  lovely 
home  it  was— for  the  son  of  peace  reigned  in  every 
room.  Before  the  close  of  our  meetings  we  organized 
a  young  people's  meeting,  and  Brother  Fife  in  writ- 
ing to  us  some  years  after  our  meetings,  says:  **I 
am  glad  to  report  that  our  young  people's  meetings 
are  still  keeping  up  their  interest  and  the  attendance 
is  more  than  double  what  it  was."  Following  are 
some  resolutions  sent  us  from  the  quarterly  confer- 
ence of  the  First  M.  E.  Church : 

January  3d,  1887. 
At  a  regular  meeting  of  the  Quarterly  Confer- 
ence of  the  First  M.  E.  Church  of  Bes  Moines,  Iowa, 
held  at  A.  C.  BidweU's  ofBce,  8 :30  a.  m. 

January  3d,  1887. 

I.  W.  Webb,  Presiding  Elder,  in  the  chair.  Rev. 
Emory  Miller,  pastor  of  the  church. 

Official  brethren  present— J.  W.  Brown,  secre- 
tary; Fife,  Bidwell,  Cope,  Perkins  and  Philips 
present. 

The  following  resolutions  were  unanimously 
passed  and  adopted : 

'* Resolved,  By  the  Second  Quarterly  Meeting 
Conference  of  the  First  M.  E.  Church  of  Des  Moines, 
that  we  are  devoutly  thankful  to  Almighty  God  for 
the  very  efficient  services  rendered  our  church  and 
people  by  the  ministrations  of  Nathan  and  Esther 
Frame ;  that  we  recognize  them  as  evangelists  of  God 
with  power  from  on  high ;  that  their  preaching  has 
tended  to  elevate  the  standard  of  Scriptural  holiness 
in  our  midst,  and  that  we  will  ever  cherish  the  visit 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  with  the  kindliest  remem- 
brance for  their  own  lovely  Christian  characters; 
and. 


326  Ft.  Wayne,  Indiana. 

^'Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be 
spread  upon  the  records  of  our  Second  Quarterly 
Journal,  and  a  copy  of  the  same  be  forwarded  by  our 
secretary  to  Brother  and  Sister  Frame. 

"J.  W.  Brown^  Secretary.^ ^ 

Ft.  Wayne,  Indiana. 

January  8th,  1887. 

In  giving  an  account  of  our  meetings,  we  copy  a 
letter  sent  us  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Methodist  Alli- 
ance of  Ft.  WajTie,  Indiana : 
*' Nathan  and  Esther  Frame,  Des  Moines,  Iowa: 

^'Dear  Friends:— Your  dispatch  reached  me 
Monday  evening.  I  waited  for  a  meeting  of  the 
Preachers'  Alliance  before  answering  you.  I  find 
that  many  of  them  know  you  and  there  is  a  general 
feeling  that  you  are  the  persons  they  want  to  conduct 
the  meetings.  January  8th,  as  suggested  in  your 
telegram,  is  the  time.  Come  prepared  to  remain 
untn  you  think  your  work  is  done.  The  names  signed 
below  are  the  committee  who  were  appointed  to  in- 
vite you  to  come.  You  can  see  that  there  will  be  a 
general  union,  at  least  among  all  the  Methodist 
churches  here,  which  represent  more  than  a  thousand 
membership. 

*' There  is  a  general  feeling  among  the  Alliance 
that  God  is  in  this  matter.  The  following  are  the 
committee  who  extend  the  iuvitation  to  you : 

^'Robert  C.  Lynch,  Presiding  Elder. 
"D.  C.  Woolport,  Pastor  Berry  Street  Church. 
''F.  G.  Brown,  Pastor  Wayne  Street  Church. 
"L.  H.  Miller,  Pastor  Bloomingdale  Church. 
"T.  J.  Briggs,  Pastor  Simpson  Church. 

*^  Committee.'^* 


Great  Crowd  at  Music  Hall.  327 

So,  according  to  arrangement,  we  came  to  Ft. 
Wayne  and  were  met  at  the  depot  and  taken  to  the 
home  of  F.  G.  Brown,  of  Wayne  Street  Church. 
This  was  the  largest  meeting-house,  and  here  we  be- 
gan our  meetings. 

Ft.  Wayne  at  this  time  was  a  city  of  forty  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  with  a  large  foreign  population, 
mostly  German  Lutherans. 

Saloons  and  drinking  places  were  numerous. 
The  oft  quoted  saying  of  a  certain  celebrated  man  is 
true,  "There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men  which,  if 
taken  at  the  flood,  leads  on  to  fortune." 

And  there  is  a  time  in  the  history  of  people's 
lives  of  special  visitation  of  God's  spirit,  and  these 
times  and  seasons  are  not  at  our  command,  so  our 
coming  to  Ft.  Wayne  was  a  time  when  the  Lord  was 
moving  upon  the  hearts  and  minds  of  many  to  be 
saved. 

One  noticeable  feature  of  these  meetings  was  the 
large  meetings  in  the  daytime,  and  sometimes  there 
were  more  men  in  attendance  than  women.  The 
house  at  night  was  always  crowded  to  its  utmost 
capacity,  and  after  the  meetings  had  been  in  session 
a  short  time  multitudes  were  turned  away  almost 
every  night. 

The  crowds  became  so  great  that  we  went  to  the 
*'Kusic  Hall,"  and  that  was  packed  to  its  utmost 
capacity,  and  still  there  was  not  sufficient  room  for 
those  who  desired  to  attend  the  meetings. 

Many  of  the  German  Lutheran  young  people 
came  and  they  sent  us  word  to  remain  longer,  as  they 
wanted  to  attend  the  meetings. 

Both  at  Wayne  Street  and  at  Music  Hall  scores 
flocked  to  the  altar  and  were  converted. 

A  German  saloonist,  whose  saloon  was  not  far 
from  "Music  Hall,"  said  to  one  of  the  church  mem- 


328  Comments  of  Press. 

bers  who  was  telling  him  about  the  good  meetings, 
**Vell  I  does  hopes  dot  voman  does  goes  soon  home; 
him  spiles  mine  pisness." 

We  praise  the  Lord  that  a  real  genuine  revival 
always  spoils  the  saloon  business. 

We  remained  at  Ft.  Wayne  until  February  21st. 
We  had  a  great  children's  meeting  at  Music  Hall  and 
many  of  the  children  were  converted  and  gave  clear 
testimony  of  their  knowing  that  the  Saviour  had  for- 
given their  sins. 

In  writing  these  reminiscences,  and  giving  ac- 
counts of  the  many  meetings,  it  has  seemed  best  for 
us  frequently  to  make  our  own  account  short  and 
then  select  one  or  two  of  the  accounts  or  notices  of 
the  meetings  from  the  daily  papers.  Following  are 
some  accounts  from  Ft.  Wayne  papers ; 

Ft.  Wayne,  Indiana,  1886. 

"Union  Revival  at  Wayne  Street  M.  E.  Church- 
Success  of  the  Evangelists. 

**The  attendance  at  the  Union  revival  services 
of  the  M.  E.  Church  last  night  exceeded  the  capacity 
of  the  house.  At  an  early  hour  the  large  audience 
room  was  filled.  Chairs  were  placed  in  the  aisles 
and  were  soon  occupied ;  the  galleries  were  crowded, 
and  where  there  was  any  standing  room  it  was  occu- 
pied, and  scores  were  turned  away.  The  multitudes 
were  hungry  for  the  bread  of  life. 

**Mrs.  Frame  spoke  from  the  text,  *The  wages 
of  sin  is  death.'  From  the  very  beginning  she  had 
complete  mastery  of  her  audience.  With  marvelous 
grace  she  proceeded,  step  by  step,  with  the  imf  olding 
of  her  subject  by  graphic  illustrations  and  tender 
appeals  imtil  she  reached  a  climax,  at  the  close  of 


Pastor's  Notes,  329 

which  many  who  have  listened  to  the  ablest  divines 
of  our  country  pronounced  it  one  of  the  most  elo- 
quent sermons  they  ever  heard. 

*' There  were  twenty  conversions  this  night, 
while  many  gave  evidence  of  profound  conviction 
and  expressed  a  desire  for  a  better  life. 

^'This  morning  there  was  an  increased  attend- 
ance at  the  Bible  reading,  which  was  ably  conducted 
by  Mr.  Frame.  The  hours  sped  away  as  so  many 
minutes,  such  was  the  joy  with  which  the  people 
entered  into  the  service. 

**Mrs.  Frame  will  preach  tonight.  Come  early 
that  you  may  secure  a  seat.  We  expect  a  thousand 
people  tonight  and  scores  will  be  saved. 

"The  Methodist  Alliance,  imder  whose  auspices 
these  meetings  are  being  held,  are  determined  that 
the  benefits  of  the  Gospel  shall  be  put  within  the 
reach  of  all  the  people,  and  if  the  building  now  being 
used  is  not  large  enough,  the  Princes  Rink  wiU  be 
obtained.'* 

Notes  of  the  Meetings. 

"The  audience  at  the  Wayne  Street  Church 
again  last  night  to  hear  this  most  gifted  woman 
preacher  was  large  in  spite  of  the  inclement  weather, 
and  the  discourse  it  listened  to  was  one  of  power  and 
elegance,  full  of  pathos  and  emotion,  holding  the  peo- 
ple in  a  trance  like  stillness,  broken  only  by  their 
sobs  and  tears,  moved  by  the  power  of  the  magical 
preacher. 

"It  has  seldom  been  our  pri\alege  to  listen  to 
such  a  sermon  as  we  heard  last  evening,  *Come,  for 
aU  things  are  now  ready,'  though  we  have  listened 
to  the  most-celebrated  preachers  in  the  land. 

"The  people  of  Ft.  Wayne  who  attend  these 
meetings  will  always  feel  under  obligations  to  the 


330  Personality  of  the  Evangelists. 

pastors  of  the  M.  E.  Churcli  that  they  have  invited 
these  two  distinguished  evangelists,  Nathan  and 
Esther  Frame.  Their  fame  has  gone  far  and  wide 
to  awaken  the  thoughtless  and  unbelieving,  and  thou- 
sands of  persons  have  been  converted  under  their 
ministry,  as  they  have  traveled  the  last  seventeen 
years  up  and  down  in  the  land. 

"Mrs.  Frame  is  a  tall,  slender,  queenly  woman; 
her  eyes  are  dark  and  very  expressive.  She  has  a 
profusion  of  dark  brown  hair,  and  through  it  are 
threads  of  silver.  She  has  a  strong,  poetic  cast  of 
mind.  I  wish  I  could  paint  you  pictures  or  carve 
you  statues  that  would  express  the  great  beauty  of 
her  face,  when  she  talks  of  her  work  and  her  love  of 
God  so  beautiful  that  it  brings  memories  of  Him  for 
whom  the  heavens  were  opened,  and  upon  whom  the 
Spirit  descended  in  the  form  of  a  dove.  One  would 
scarcely  be  startled  to  hear  that  same  voice  declare, 
*This  is  my  beloved  child;  hear  ye  her.'  She  has  a 
full,  rich  voice  which  is  thrillingly  musical.  When 
in  her  presence  you  feel  that  she  is  so  near  Jesus  that 
only  a  thin  veil  separates  her  from  the  throne  of 
God  and  that  she  now  sits  in  His  kingdom  filled  with 
his  glory. 

**  Nathan  Frame  is  a  light  complexioned  man 
with  heavy,  curling  auburn  hair ;  he  is  a  poet  by  in- 
stinct, and  a  preacher  by  virtue  of  his  great  love  of 
God.  He  is  very  practical  and  has  a  keen  artistic 
sense.  He  has  written  many  fine  poems.  He  leads 
the  Scriptural  readings,  which  are  held  every  morn- 
ing at  ten  o'clock  at  the  Wayne  Street  Church." 

*'A  New  Departure. 

"The  Union  Revival,  conducted  by  Nathan  and 
Esther  Frame  was  taken  to  the  Academy  of  Music 
last  evening  and  packed  the  immense  room  with  a 


Old  Landmarks,  331 

congregation  who  hung  with  breathless  attention 
upon  the  eloquent  words  of  Mrs.  Frame. 

''Mrs.  Frame  took  for  her  text,  *For  God  so 
loved  the  world. '  At  the  conclusion  of  the  discourse 
many  came  to  the  altar  as  seekers.  Meeting  at  7  p. 
m.  this  evening.  Come  early  as  the  hall,  galleries, 
and  all  will  be  packed  at  an  early  hour. 

''Meeting  at  the  Berry  Street  M.  E.  Church  this 
morning  at  10  a.  m.,  led  by  Nathan  Frame.  Every- 
one invited  to  come  to  these  morning  meetings  and 
bring  their  friends,  where  the  power  of  God  is  being 
displayed  in  such  a  wonderful  manner,  and  the  in- 
fluence is  being  felt  throughout  the  city  and  sur- 
rounding country.  Every  lover  of  God  should  be 
actively  at  work. ' ' 

Greenville,  Darke  County,  Ohio. 

On  February  28th  we  commenced  meetings  at 
Greenville,  Darke  County,  Ohio,  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  Brother  Cassett,  pastor.  Green- 
ville is  the  County  Seat  of  a  beautiful  town  and  con- 
tains something  more  than  six  thousand  inhabitants. 
Greenville  Creek  skirts  the  town  on  the  North  and 
East,  and  receives  a  small  tributary  near  the  North- 
west part  of  the  town.  Between  those  two  creeks  on 
a  high  point  of  land  where  the  creeks  flow  together 
was  at  one  time  the  headquarters  of  the  great  Indian 
war  Chief  Tecumseh.  He  resided  there  in  the  year 
1796. 

There  is  an  old  brick  house  also  now  standing 
in  Greenville,  and  in  a  good  state  of  preservation 
which  was  General  Anthony  Wayne's  headquarters 
in  the  winter  of  1793. 

Greenville  is  the  center  of  a  fine  agricultural 
county  and  a  good  trading  and  merchandising  point. 
.We  were  entertained  at  the  home  of  Brother  Cassett 


332  Windy  Jim, 

and  his  most  estimable  Christian  wife.  Peace  from 
God  reigned  in  every  room  and  it  was  a  delight  to 
be  in  that  home.  There  were  a  nmnber  of  the  best 
people  in  and  around  Greenville  who  were  members 
of  the  M.  E.  Church,  but  there  was  a  great  lack  of 
spiritual  life.  The  day  meetings  were  small  in  the 
beginning  and  some  expressed  doubt  about  the  pro- 
priety of  holding  meetings  more  than  once  a  day. 
We  told  them  the  work  and  the  battle  was  the  Lord's, 
and  that  we  should  hold  meetings  in  the  day  for  those 
who  did  come  if  there  was  not  more  than  a  dozen 
came. 

Each  day  more  came,  and  soon  the  house  was 
filled  and  more  room  was  needed,  but  sinners  and 
church  members  were  a  little  slow  to  take  any  de- 
cided step.  But  God  was  with  us  and  the  fire  and 
hammer  were  doing  their  work.  The  first  people 
who  came  forward  as  sinners  were  very  poor,  and  it 
was  considered  that  they  belonged  to  rather  a  worth- 
less class,  and  they  were  ignorant.  There  were  two 
women  and  one  man.  The  man  was  known  around 
the  town  by  the  name  of  "Windy  Jim."  These  two 
women,  the  wife  of  "Windy  Jim"  and  another  poor, 
desolate  looking  creature,  and  the  man  were  the  first 
to  respond  to  our  preaching.  We  went  to  them  and 
taught  them  and  prayed  with  them  just  as  if  they 
had  been  the  most  wealthy  and  the  most  cultivated 
in  the  audience.  The  women  were  soon  converted 
but  "Windy  Jim"  came  forward  nearly  every  night 
for  a  week  before  he  found  peace,  but  he  was  per- 
sistent, and  when  he  was  saved,  many  who  knew  him 
said  that  he  not  only  looked  like  another  man,  but 
he  was  another  man.  The  church  members  bought 
him  and  his  family  some  clothes  and  dressed  the 
children,  got  them  some  provisions  and  some  furni- 
ture in  their  house  and  found  the  man  employment 


Hundreds  Saved,  333 

and  he  went  to  work  and  took  the  money  he  earned 
and  used  it  for  his  family.  God  not  only  made  his 
conversion  a  blessing  to  him  and  his  family,  but  to 
the  church ;  they  found  it  more  blessed  to  give  than 
to  receive. 

The  conversion  of  ''Windy  Jim''  and  his  family 
and  the  wealthy  ladies  standing  by  them  and  mak- 
ing them  comfortable,  seemed  to  be  the  hey  to  the 
work  of  touching  the  whole  church,  for  almost  imme- 
diately after  the  Lord  had  saved  this  poor  family, 
and  they  had  been  provided  for,  the  power  of  God 
swept  over  the  audience  and  over  the  town  of  Green- 
ville like  a  mighty  avalanche.  Conviction  for  sin 
seized  upon  multitudes  of  sinners  so  that  they  came 
forward  for  prayer  and  cried  out,  *'God  be  merciful 
to  me,  a  sinner. ' '  There  was  such  conviction  that  it 
made  them  sick  of  sin,  and  they  trusted  to  be  saved, 
and  the  Lord  saved  multitudes  of  them.  * '  They  were 
translated  out  of  darkness  into  light,"  from  the 
power  of  Satan  unto  the  power  of  God. 

There  were  two  business  men  who  were  some 
tinctured  with  the  Universalist  doctrine,  whose 
wives  were  converted  and  who  belonged  to  the  church 
They  attended  the  meetings  with  their  wives  and 
became  under  deep  conviction,  and  finally  said  that 
they  would  join  the  church,  but  one  of  them  said  he 
would  not  go  forward  for  prayer. 

The  other  one,  who  was  a  friend  of  this  gentle- 
man, after  he  had  joined  the  church,  wanted  him  to 
go  forward  but  he  still  refused,  but  one  night,  when 
the  meetinghouse  was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity 
and  many  had  been  converted,  and  many  seekers 
were  forward  for  prayer,  and  this  man  who  said  he 
would  not  go,  was  being  urged  by  his  wife  and  his 
business  friend,  Esther  went  to  him  and  joined  them 
and  finally  he  came  f or\\^ard  and  fell  prostrated  at 


334  Visiting  the  Jail, 

the  altar  and  was  in  such  agony  that  some  of  his 
friends  became  frightened  and  thought  he  would  die. 
We  told  them  there  was  no  danger  and  that  we  wished 
every  sinner  in  the  house  was  in  the  same  condition. 
That  night  before  the  close  of  the  meeting  he  was 
most  gloriously  converted,  and  when  we  asked  all  to 
stand  up  who  had  found  peace  in  Christ,  this  gentle- 
man, who  had  been  so  opposed  to  going  to  the  seekers 
bench,  not  only  arose  but  stoood  upon  a  bench  facing 
the  audience  and  holding  up  both  his  hands  as  high 
as  he  could,  said:  **I  am  here.''  God  had  saved 
him  and  he  was  not  ashamed. 

The  influence  of  the  meetings  was  reaching  all 
classes  and  for  many  miles  in  the  country  the  people 
were  attending.  The  prisoners  in  the  county  jail 
sent  for  us  to  come  and  visit  them  and  pray  with 
them.  As  Esther  could  not  go  I  went  one  Sabbath 
afternoon  and  more  than  fifty  young  men  and  young 
women  went  with  me,  and  we  had  a  good  meeting 
there  with  the  prisoners. 

There  were  many  remarkable  instances  of  con- 
versions at  these  meetings,  but  enough  has  been  said 
to  show  the  power  of  converting  grace  upon  the  peo- 
ple through  the  simple  telling  of  the  story  of  the 
cross. 

Following  are  some  notices  of  the  meetings  clip- 
ped from  the  Greenville  papers : 

Nathan  and  Esther  Frame,  the  Evangelists,  March 

9th,  1887. 

The  revival  at  the  M.  E.  Church  needs  more  than 
a  passing  notice.  The  widely  known  and  greatly 
gifted  Evangelists,  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame,  have 
been  here  and  conducting  meetings  for  the  past  four 
weeks  and  their  preaching  has  been  in  demonstration 
of  the  spirit  and  with  power.    The  simple  telling  of 


What  the  Papers  Say.  335 

the  **old,  old  story  of  Jesus  and  his  love,"  day  after 
day,  and  night  after  night,  attracted  multitudes  of 
our  people  to  hear  them. 

We  had  heard  and  read  much  of  the  wonderful 
success  of  these  good  people,  but  to  appreciate  their 
work  and  preaching  they  must  be  seen  and  heard. 
While  there  is  at  times  much  enthusiasm  in  their 
meetings,  this  enthusiasm  is  apparent  to  all  thinking 
people,  the  result  of  clearly  and  eloquently  stated 
gospel  truths. 

Their  preaching  is  logical  and  scriptural,  por- 
traying the  hideousness  of  sin  and  its  effects  upon 
humanity  and  the  punishment  of  the  impenitent, 
that  all  may  come  and  be  saved ;  that  God  is  no  re- 
specter of  persons,  and  that  heaven  is  a  prepared 
place  for  a  prepared  people,  and  such  preparation 
must  be  made  here. 

Mrs.  Frame's  sermon  last  evening  was  the  most 
powerful  and  eloquent  she  has  yet  given,  holding  the 
great  audience  in  breathless  silence  by  her  eloquence 
and  at  last  pointing  out  the  way  to  a  better  world 
which  many  of  our  prominent  citizens  were  ready 
and  willing  to  travel.  Up  to  this  meeting  over  one 
hundred  and  fifty  have  professed  conversion  and  one 
hundred  and  twenty  have  united  with  the  church. 

D. 

The  Evangelists  Finish  Their  Work  at  Greenville^ 

Ohio. 

Monday  night  at  the  M.  E.  Church  was  a  time 
of  varied  and  unique  interest.  One  of  Mrs.  Frame's 
most  powerful  sermons,  several  conversions,  then  a 
presentation  of  two  silk  umbrellas  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Frame,  in  a  well  timed  address  by  Dr.  Matchett,  with 
a  beautiful  response  by  Mr.  Frame. 


336  Comparisons. 

The  distinguislied  Evangelists,  Nathan  and  Es- 
ther Frame,  have  finished  their  work  in  Greenville. 
They  have  proven  themselves  workers  who  need  not 
be  ashamed.  Mrs.  Frame  is  a  preacher  of  marvelous 
fascination  and  power.  Mr.  Frame,  though  entirely 
different  as  a  preacher  from  his  wife,  is  fully  half 
the  power  in  their  united  evangelism. 

Under  their  labors  for  a  month  past,  Greenville 
has  been  stirred  and  renewed  as  it  has  not  been  for 
thirty  years  before.  Their  meetings  have  been  held 
in  the  Methodist  Church,  and  the  visible  fruits  of 
the  revival  have  been  mostly  harvested  by  that 
church,  but  many  converted  have  gone  to  other 
churches.  Since  the  meetings  began  two  hundred 
have  been  converted,  many  have  been  reclaimed  and 
renewed.  Our  love  will  follow  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame 
when  they  have  gone  from  us  to  other  fields  of  vic- 
tory and  our  people  will  always  welcome  them  back. 


Down  the  Ohio,  337 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Evansville,  Indiana, 

After  the  close  of  our  meetings  at  Darke  County, 
Ohio,  we  returned  home  for  a  little  rest. 

On  April  13th,  1887,  we  started  for  Evansville, 
Indiana,  to  hold  series  of  meetings  in  the  M.  E. 
Church,  Brother  Frost  Craft,  pastor.  Our  daugh- 
ters accompanied  us.  We  went  by  way  of  the  Little 
Miami  Railway  to  Cincinnati  and  there  took  the 
steamer,  Buckeye  State,  for  Evansville,  Indiana. 

We  had  a  most  delightful  trip  down  the  beauti- 
ful Ohio,  so  different  from  the  rush  and  clatter  of 
the  railway  travel.  The  willow-fringed  shores,  the 
wood  crowned  hills,  the  fresh  green  fields  of  growing 
wheat,  the  dear  old  farm  houses  embowered  among 
the  forest  trees,  the  towns  and  villages  that  came  into 
view  as  the  great  steamer  rounded  a  headland  or 
shot  out  from  behind  an  island,  the  boat  following 
the  zig-zag  channel  and  running  so  close  to  the  shore 
that  we  were  almost  under  the  old  moss  grown  gray 
cliffs  with  the  beautiful  ferns  growing  from  their 
crevices,  while  here  and  there  we  saw  great  openings 
in  the  rocky  walls,  the  mouth  of  a  cave  that  led  for 
aught  we  know  to  some  robbers'  den  of  the  early  days 
of  pioneer  life,  or  was  the  hiding  place  of  the  "Red" 
man, where  he  watched  to  capture  the"  White"  man's 
flat  boats  when  the  current  chanced  to  drift  them 
near  enough  to  the  shore. 

Gadsden,  Alahama. 

We  remained  at  Evansville  two  weeks.  The 
church  was  much  quickened  and  we  knew  of  some 
conversions.    We  trust  that  seed  was  sown  that  shall 


338  Gadsden,  Alabama, 

bring  forth  fruit  to  the  glory  of  God.  Brother  Frost 
Craft,  the  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  and  his  wife, 
were  lovely  Christians.  They  cared  for  us  tenderly 
and  provided  well  for  us  in  the  Lords  work  while 
with  them.  May  God's  blessing  follow  them  and  also 
the  dear  family  where  we  made  our  home. 

We  held  our  next  series  of  meetings  at  *' Gads- 
den, Alabama."  This  town  is  ninety  miles  South  of 
Chattanooga,  in  Etowah  County,  at  the  southern 
terminus  of  "Lookout  Mountain,"  for  Lookout 
Mountain  is  not  a  single  mountain  peak,  but  a  chain, 
reaching  from  Chattanooga  in  Tennessee  to  Gadsden 
in  Alabama  on  the  Coosa  River. 

Gadsden  is  an  old  town  five  miles  from  the  main 
line  of  the  Alabama  and  Great  Southern  Railway,  a 
branch  road  running  from  the  little  town  of  Attalla 
to  it.  There  are  also  two  more  railways  being  built 
through  Gadsden,  one  commencing  at  Decatur,  Ala- 
bama, and  terminating  at  Rome,  Georgia. 

Our  meetings  were  held  in  the  Methodist  Meet- 
ing House,  John  A.  Thompson  being  the  pastor,  and 
he  treated  us  with  very  great  kindness  and  we  shall 
not  soon  forget  how  waimly  he  received  us,  and  how 
nobly  he  defended  the  cause  of  Christ  against  the 
attacks  of  the  ministers  and  others  who  were  pre- 
judiced against  a  woman  preaching. 

Neither  the  Presbyterian  nor  Baptist  misisters 
attended  the  meetings,  though  many  of  their  mem- 
bers came  and  took  part  with  us,  and  were  greatly 
blessed  and  gave  joyful  testimony  to  the  power  of 
saving  grace. 

The  Baptist  minister  used  all  his  influence 
against  the  meetings  because  he  said  it  was  not  scrip- 
tural for  a  woman  to  preach.  A  prominent  member 
of  one  of  the  churches  was  speaking  to  him  one  day 
and  desiring  him  to  attend  one  of  the  meetings  and 


Mountaineers.  339 

hear  for  himself,  and  when  he  could  not  evade  the 
injustice  of  condemning  without  having  ever  heard 
the  preaching,  he  replied,  **Well,  if  the  Lord  wanted 
that  woman  to  preach,  why  did  he  not  make  a  man  of 
her.  The  gentleman  thus  addressed  replied  to  him, 
*'If  you  will  tell  me  why  God  made  a  man  out  of  you 
and  allowed  you  to  preach  and  afflict  the  people  as 
you  do,  then  I  will  answer  your  question."  The 
brother  said  he  made  no  reply. 

We  w^ere  entertained  while  at  Gadsden  at 
Brother  and  Sister  Sibert's,  who  lived  in  the  suburbs 
of  the  town,  and  a  most  pleasant  home  we  had.  We 
had  a  large,  airy  upper  room  and  could  look  from  the 
windows  across  the  mile  or  more  of  valley  that  lay 
between  us  and  the  mountains,  their  sides  covered 
with  forests  and  their  crests  with  that  indescribable 
soft  blue  haze  that  seems  ever  to  hover  as  a  presiding 
spirit  over  them.  Then  there  were  little  narrow  val- 
leys running  in  between  the  mountain  slopes,  along 
which  were  situated  the  log  houses  of  the  moun- 
taineers. In  all  the  hill  and  mountain  country  in  the 
*' Southern  States"  there  is  a  class  of  poor  white  peo- 
ple to  whom  more  especial  allusion  will  be  made  fur- 
ther along.  Much  of  the  farming  of  these  people  is 
done  entirely  with  oxen.  They  plow  their  groimd, 
cultivate  their  corn,  go  to  market  and  to  meeting  with 
their  oxen,  yoked  in  pairs,  or  singly,  drawing  old 
four  wheeled,  dilapidated  looking  wagons,  or  little 
rickety  woe-begone  carts  with  shafts,  then  one  ox  or 
gaunt  steer,  and  sometimes  a  bull  hitched  to  them. 

Attalla,  Alabama, 

This  little  town  is  five  miles  from  Gadsden  at 
the  crossing  of  the  Rome  &  Decatur  Railway.  It  is 
a  most  beautiful  location  for  a  towTi  and  only  needs 
business  enterprise  and  capital  to  make  a  place  of 


340  Hospitality, 

some  importance.  It  is  the  gateway  from  the  West 
to  the  seaboard  through  the  moimtains,  and  there  are 
immense  quantities  of  the  best  iron  ore  and  coal  all 
around  it. 

We  spent  a  little  more  than  one  week  in  this 
little  old  Southern  town,  in  many  respects  so  dif- 
ferent from  our  towns  in  the  North.  The  hospitality 
of  the  people  was  such  that  we  were  as  much  at  home 
as  among  our  own  people. 

There  was  some  prejudice  here  against  a  woman 
preaching.  A  young  married  man,  who  was  a  great 
sinner,  came  to  one  of  the  day  meetings  and  during 
the  preaching  the  word  of  the  Lord  reached  his  heart 
and  when  opportunity  offered  he  arose  and  said:  *'I 
have  been  one  of  the  fault  finders  and  one  of  the  nar- 
row minded  people  and  have  been  using  my  influence 
against  these  good  people  who  are  ministers  sent  of 
God,  and  I  am  ashamed  of  myself  and  I  intend  from 
this  time  on  to  do  better,  and  I  want  you  to  pray  for 
me  that  I  may  become  a  Christian. '* 

When  he  sat  down  we  immediately  invited  him 
to  come  forward  for  prayer;  he  came,  but  was  not 
saved  at  that  meeting  but  the  next  day  was  converted 
and  was  very  happy.  There  was  a  little  band  of  noble 
Christian  women  here  who  had  been  working  in  the 
temperance  cause.  They  had  held  temperance  meet- 
ings at  school  houses,  but  on  accoimt  of  great  opposi- 
tion had  become  much  discouraged  in  their  work. 
Our  meetings  were  a  source  of  much  rejoicing  to 
these  devoted  Godly  women.  The  churches  here  were 
greatly  revived,  many  souls  were  saved,  and  a  few 
were  enabled  to  consecrate  themselves  entirely  to  the 
Lord's  work. 

Our  home  was  with  Brother  and  Sister  Chris- 
topher, and  we  shall  follow  them  through  life  with 
our  prayers  for  the  assistance  they  rendered  us  and 


'Attalla  and  Springville,  Alabama,  341 

for  their  great  kindness  to  us  and  our  daughter. 
Their  house  was  a  small  one,  and  besides  their  own 
family  they  had  a  married  daughter  living  with  them 
and  also  her  two  children.  So  in  order  to  make  us 
comfortable  they  gave  us  two  of  the  best  rooms  in  the 
house  and  went  themselves  away  from  home  every 
night  to  lodge.    God  bless  them  for  their  kindness. 

Revival  Meeting  At  Attalla  July  2Zrd. 

Special— The  Eevs.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  are 
holding  a  series  of  revival  meetings  here  and  are 
doing  great  good  for  the  Master.  Several  have  been 
converted,  and  it  is  hoped  many  more  will  be  saved 
ere  the  meetings  close.  These  people  speak  with  more 
divine  power  than  we  ever  heard  fall  from  the  lips 
of  any  other  preachers.  No  one  can  hear  them  with- 
out feeling  that  they  are  inspired  with  power  from 
on  high.  All  prejudice  against  a  woman  is  disap- 
pearing as  the  people  listen  to  Mrs.  Frame.  May 
God  bless  them  in  their  efforts  to  do  good. 

Springville,  Alabama. 

About  twenty-five  miles  from  Attalla  on  the  Ala- 
bama and  Great  Southern  Railway  is  the  town  of 
Springville. 

Major  Crandall,  one  of  the  most  prominent  citi- 
zens of  this  part  of  the  state,  and  a  resident  of 
Springville,  had  attended  one  of  our  meetings  at 
Gadsden  and  also  one  at  Attalla,  and  at  the  close  of  the 
meeting  introduced  himself  and  said:  **I  am  a 
Methodist  and  live  in  Springville,  and  we  want  just 
such  people  as  you  are  to  come  and  hold  a  meeting 
for  us.  I  have  attended  two  of  your  meetings  and 
we  must  have  you.    Where  are  you  going?" 

We  informed  him  that  our  next  appointment 
was  at  Athens,  Alabama,  and  that  we  would  not  go 


342  Colonel  Crandall. 

there  for  nearly  two  weeks,  as  we  intended  to  go  to 
Mountain  Home  and  \isit  some  friends  and  rest  a 
time.  But  said  he,  *'You  can  spare  one  week  and 
have  all  the  time  you  need  for  rest  at  your  friends." 
We  felt  that  the  Lord  was  leading,  told  him  that  we 
would  come  to  Springville  and  hold  a  week's  meet- 
ing. Then  he  bade  us  good  by,  saying,  *'You  will 
make  your  home  at  my  house. ' '  How  surely  the  Lord 
leads  all  who  put  their  trust  in  Him,  and  though  there 
may  be  but  one  step  made  known  at  a  time,  yet  there 
is  always  light  enough  to  take  that  one  step. 

We  arrived  at  Springville  in  the  midst  of  a 
drenching  rain.  Brother  Crandall  and  Brother  Boyd 
the  Methodist  minister,  and  a  number  of  the  breth- 
ren, were  there  and  gave  us  a  welcome. 

We  were  conveyed  to  Brother  Crandall 's  home 
among  the  great  oaks,  where  they  had  provided 
rooms  for  us  and  our  daughter,  and  a  restful  and  de- 
lightful home  it  was. 

At  our  first  meeting  the  people  almost  filled  the 
meeting  house.  They  came  from  far  and  near,  some 
from  ten  miles  in  the  country.  Many  of  them  were 
poor  people,  but  they  received  the  word  with  joy  and 
it  was  blessed  to  behold  their  poor,  care-worn  faces 
lit  up  with  Christ's  joy,  and  to  hear  them  speak  His 
praise. 

There  was  a  little  couplet  of  song  they  frequently 
sung.  When  we  first  heard  them  it  did  not  appear 
to  be  very  edifying,  but  when  we  had  learned  more 
of  the  condition  of  these  people,  we  saw  that  the  song 
was  just  adapted  to  them  and  their  circiunstances. 
The  hymn  they  sang  is  a  kind  of  chorus,  repeated  in 
a  soft,  minor  key.  But  one  can  get  little  knowledge 
of  the  ejffect  and  beauty  of  the  song  without  hearing 
these  people  sing  it  as  they  do  with  the  spirit,  and 
with  the  understanding. 


The  Mountain  People.  343 

It  required  much  sacrifice  for  these  poor  hill 
people  to  get  to  the  meetings.  They  were  compelled 
to  rise  at  three  or  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  in 
order  to  get  the  family  ready  for  the  meeting,  for 
they  must  come  ^vith  ox  teams  or  walk,  and  many  of 
them  lived  from  five  to  eight  miles  away  and  over 
rough,  hilly  roads  they  must  come,  bringing  their 
dinners  and  their  bundles  of  fodder  for  themselves 
and  teams,  for  they  remained  all  day,  attending  both 
the  morning  and  night  meetings,  and  those  who  lived 
at  the  distance  mentioned  could  not  reach  home  until 
midnight  or  an  hour  or  two  after,  as  the  meetings 
sometimes  continued  late. 

The  weather  was  rainy  and  often  they  were 
drenched  with  rain  as  they  had  no  covering  to  their 
wagons  and  carts  and  few  of  them  possessed  umbrel- 
las. Perhaps  now  you  can  better  get  the  force  of  the 
words  of  the  song  they  often  sung.  I  give  a  verse 
and  then  the  chorus,  the  chorus  being  repeated  over 
twice. 

Sometimes  I  go  to  meeting, 
I  wish  I'd  stayed  at  home, 
But  when  I  get  a  blessing, 
Why  then  I'm  glad  I've  come. 

CHORUS. 

Lord  I  want  more  religion. 
Lord  I  want  more  religion, 
Lord  I  want  more  religion, 
To  help  me  on  my  way. 

It  did  not  take  us  many  days  to  discover  that 
the  Lord  was  answering  their  little  heart-felt 
^ Sprayer  song'^  and  filling  their  soids  with  His  love, 
and  making  them  strong  for  the  battles  of  life,  so  we 
readily  joined  in  with  them  and  sang,  "Lord  I  want 
more  religion."    The  song  was  just  adapted  to  their 


344  The  Simple  Gospel  Story, 

needs  and  better  for  them  than  all  the  operatic  non  • 
sense  sung  by  the  trained  choirs  in  the  churches. 

*'Lord  I  want  more  religion,"  and  so  the  real 
heart  singing  that  tells  directly  of  the  needs  of  the 
soul,  that  inspires  to  a  better  life,  that  brings  men 
nearer  God,  is  what  we  need  in  all  the  churches,  the 
old  battle  cry  hymns  of  the  ages  full  of  Jesus  and 
His  love. 

When  we  think  of  the  effort  these  poor  people 
made  to  get  to  the  meeting  and  the  labor  that  it  cost 
them,  and  exposure,  it  is  not  surprising  that  some- 
times they  '"''wished  they  had  stayed  at  home,'-  but 
when  they  were  at  the  meeting  and  all  had  such  a 
soul  refreshing  time,  then  they  were  glad  they  had 
come. 

If  we  would  win  people  to  Christ  we  must  go  to 
them  and  meet  them  where  they  are ;  get  at  the  heart 
of  their  life,  give  the  gospel  to  them  as  they  can  im- 
derstand  it. 

We  must  tell  them  the  "old,  old  story,"  ''simply, 
as  to  a  little  child." 

Beside  these  poor  people  mentioned  that  came 
to  the  Springville  meeting  from  the  country,  there 
were  many  educated  and  refined  people  who  lived  in 
the  town  and  surrounding  country,  and  the  power  of 
the  gospel  reached  them  all. 

In  all  the  little  villages  and  in  the  country  places 
there  are  many  cultivated  and  highly  educated  ladies 
and  gentlemen.  God  bless  Springville  with  its 
springs  of  pure  cold  water,  its  beautiful  forest  trees 
and  loving  appreciative  people. 

The  Evangelists,  Mr.  Nathan  T.  Frame  and  Mrs, 
Esther  G.  Frame,  in  Springville,  Alabama. 

Springville,  Alabama,  Aug.  4th.— (Special  Cor- 
respondence.)—The  citizens  of  the  quiet  and  inter- 


A  Warm  Welcome.  345 

esting  little  town,  noted  for  its  numerous  gushing, 
gurgling  springs  of  nature's  purest,  healthful  waters, 
and  for  several  miles  out  in  the  country  have  been 
enjoying  and  been  most  graciously  edified  and  com- 
forted, and  with  all  made  more  resolute  and  determ- 
ined to  have  a  higher  Christian  life  and  purpose, 
during  the  past  week,  through  the  preachings,  exhor- 
tations and  teachings  of  these  unpretentious  and 
faithful  evangelists,  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame.  It 
may  be  proper  to  state  that  their  visit  here  was  at  the 
earnest  request  of  the  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Church 
of  Springville  and  members  of  other  denominations 
and  Colonel  Crandall,  who  had  heard  them  at  Gads- 
den and  Attalla. 

We  learn  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  have  been 
engaged  in  the  ministry  some  seventeen  years  in 
Ohio  and  in  adjoining  States  north  of  the  Ohio  River 
and  during  this  period  many  thousands  of  all  ages, 
sexes  and  conditions  have  been  converted  and  turned 
from  a  life  of  sin  to  the  Christian  life  and  walk,  and 
have  united  with  some  one  of  the  Christian  churches. 
The  lady  is  of  Southern  birth,  North  Carolina.  She 
lived  with  her  parents  north  of  the  Ohio  River  pre- 
vious to  the  war,  where  she  was  married.  Yet  she 
remembers  and  loves  the  land  of  her  birth,  hence 
her  frequent  visits  to  some  of  the  Southern  States 
in  their  Evangelizing  work.  They  leave  here  for  a 
point  near  Courtland,  Alabama,  for  a  few  days  rest, 
when  they  will  engage  by  appointment  in  a  series  of 
meetings  in  the  M.  E.  Church  in  Athens,  Alabama. 
We  hope  to  see  them  with  us  again  ere  another  year 
shall  pass  away. 

It  will  afford  us  no  little  gratification  to  know 
that  they  receive  invitations  from  many  of  the 
churches  South,  to  visit  them  at  some  convenient 
season.    They  will  be  found  to  impart  a  great  and 


,346  Athens,  Alabama, 

enduring  good  to  the  masses  of  the  people,  and  to 
the  churches,  as  Sam  Jones  or  any  other  Evangelist. 
We  have  with  us  an  intelligent  gentleman  who 
has  traveled  through  England,  Wales,  Scotland  and 
many  of  our  own  States,  North  and  South,  and  heard 
many  of  the  most  prominent  and  gifted  preachers 
at  home  and  abroad  in  these  different  parts  of  the 
country,  and  he  has  attended  all  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Frame's  meetings  here  and  he  asserts  that  Mrs. 
Frame  is  the  most  eloquent  and  effective  in  her  min- 
istrations of  any  person  he  ever  heard  on  either  side 
of  the  Atlantic.  So  effective  indeed,  that  she  placed 
him  on  the  highway  of  rejoicing  to  keep  him  through 
his  journey  to  the  end. 

Observer. 
Athens,  Alabama. 

From  Springville  we  went  to  Mountain  Home 
to  spend  a  few  days  with  our  friends,  William  and 
Docia  Wooton.  Like  some  of  the  servants  of  the 
Lord  in  ancient  times,  who  went  up  into  the  moim- 
tains  to  meditate  and  pray,  apart  from  the  restless 
throng  in  the  busy  marts.  We  went  up  to  the  wood- 
land sanctuary,  not  builded  with  hands— to  the 
groves,  ** God's  first  Temples." 

John  T.  Tanner,  who  was  a  resident  of  Athens, 
we  had  met  at  Tuscumbia  in  1886,  and  through  his 
earnest  solicitation  and  that  of  the  Methodist  minis- 
ter we  had  promised  to  hold  meetings  at  Athens.  We 
were  entertained  at  Brother  and  Sister  Tanner's; 
they  are  among  the  oldest  and  most  respectable  fami- 
lies in  Northern  Alabama.  He  is  a  great  temperance 
worker.  The  people  of  Athens  are  intelligent  and 
educated.  We  found  a  large  number  of  Christian 
young  men  here.  There  were  many  wealthy  families 
here  before  the  '*War  of  the  Rebellion."  But  the 
marks  of  the  desolator  are  still  to  be  seen,  though  a 


The  Women  of  the  South,  347 

quarter  of  a  century  has  passed  away,  the  pressure 
of  a  heavy  hand  still  lingers  in  the  sunny  atmosphere. 
But  these  people  of  the  South  submit  to  the  changes 
that  have  come  with  as  much  grace  and  fortitude  as 
we  of  the  North  would  under  like  conditions.  Many 
of  the  Southern  people  are  displaying  a  marvelous 
energy  in  adjusting  themselves  to  the  new  order  of 
things.  In  the  "New  South"  the  Christian  States- 
man and  Historian  will  find  much  to  engage  their 
attention,  some  things  to  condemn  and  much  to  com- 
mend. 

To  know  a  people  we  must  see  them  in  their  own 
homes,  and  mingle  with  them  in  their  religious  as- 
semhlieSf  and  observe  them  under  trying  circum- 
stances. 

It  is  a  weU  deserved  compliment  to  the  women 
of  the  South  of  the  better  class,  to  say  of  them  that 
thousands  who  formerly  had  wealth  and  affluence, 
when  a  change  came  were  tvilUng  and  capable  of 
making  a  living  for  themselves,  filling  important 
places  in  the  business  world,  and  there  are  no  more 
noble  women  in  any  land  than  these  cultivated  South- 
ern women. 

We  remained  at  Athens  two  weeks  and  God  won- 
derfully blessed  our  meetings,  many  were  converted. 
There  was  not  so  much  objection  here  to  a  woman 
preaching  as  at  some  other  places  in  the  South. 
There  was  one  Lawyer,  a  Presbyterian,  who  at  first 
refused  to  come  to  the  meetings  but  was  induced  to 
come  once  and  afterward  became  a  constant  attender 
and  was  one  of  our  most  devoted  friends.  I  close 
the  account  of  our  work  here  with  articles  clipped 
from  the  Athens  papers. 

^^  Religious/' 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  "The  Quaker  Preachers," 
have  created  an  interest  but  seldom  manifested  in 


348  At  Athens  Station. 

our  community.     It  reminds  one  of  the  good  old; 
times  of  the  long  ago  when  people  enjoyed  the  re- 
ligion they  professed.   The  preaching  of  Mrs.  Framcj 
is  like  springtime  showers  after  long  drouths,  re-j 
viving  withered  and  dried  up  vegetation  and  causing' 
new  life  to  spring  up  all  around.    The  interest  has 
extended  to  the  country  and  crowds  are  pouring  in 
from  all  points  of  the  compass  and  all  go  away 
pleased  and  benefited. 

Such  times  of  refreshing  and  spiritual  bless- 
ings have  not  occurred  in  this  community  for  many 
years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  will  remain  as  long  as 
good  can  be  done.  Their  visit  to  us  will  never  be 
forgotten  and  our  children  will  sing  praises  to  their 
memory  long  after  they  shall  have  gone  to  heaven. 

Athens  Station. 

We  have  just  closed  a  most  glorious  protracted 
meeting  which  proved  to  be  in  deed  and  in  truth  a 
revival.  I  have  never  seen  the  power  of  God  more 
manifested  than  during  our  entire  meeting,  which 
continued  thirteen  days.  The  Evangelists,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Frame,  were  with  us  in  the  Spirit  of  the  Master. 
They  came  through  a  pressing  invitation  from  us. 
They  were  taken  to  one  of  the  homes  of  our  prom- 
inent citizens,  who  claimed  them  as  his  guests,  and 
they  were  treated  with  royal  welcome. 

I  never  saw  people  so  charmed  and  delighted  as 
our  people  were  with  Mrs.  Frame,  and  not  only  the 
people  of  Athens  but  of  Limestone  County,  for  they 
were  here  from  every  quarter  imtil  our  very  large 
meetinghouse  could  not  accommodate  them.  They 
had  the  undivided  attention  of  their  vast  audiences 
from  the  very  first. 


Elhmont,  Alabama.  349 


Dispatch  to  The  Nashville  American,  August  Sth, 

1887. 

The  meetings  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  that  were 
held  in  the  Methodist  Church  and  were  so  largely 
attended,  and  kept  up  night  and  day  with  unabated 
interest,  have  closed.  They  are  members  of  the 
Quaker  Church  but  preach  the  old  fashioned  re- 
ligion of  Christ  and  Him  crucified,  with  wonderful 
power  and  effect. 

Mr.  Frame  is  a  highly  cultivated  gentleman  and 
leads  in  the  meetings.  Mrs.  Frame  must  be  heard 
to  be  appreciated.  If  she  has  an  equal  in  the  pulpit 
we  have  yet  to  hear  such  an  one.  Those  who  have 
gone  to  hear  her  under  strong  prejudices  are  the 
most  pronounced  in  her  praise.  God  bless  them  in 
their  future  work. 

M.  E.  Pastor. 

Elhmont,  Alabama. 

Elkmont  is  a  small  village  twelve  miles  from 
Athens.  The  Methodist  minister  came  to  Athens  and 
said  to  us  that  there  was  such  desire  and  such  great 
need  that  we  must  come  and  hold  some  meetings,  if 
for  only  a  few  days,  and  that  everyone  thought  we 
were  just  the  people  to  come.  It  was  the  same  cry, 
^*the  harvest  great  and  the  laborers  few/'  Then 
said  the  preacher,  ''Our  town  is  one  of  the  most 
peculiar  toivns  and  there  is  no  other  place  in  Tennes - 
see  that  needs  a  revival  so  much  as  we  do,  and  you 
are  the  only  noted  Evangelists  that  go  to  small  towns 
and  country  places,  so  do  come." 

Though  Esther  was  very  weary  from  so  much 
work  we  consented  to  stop  there  for  a  few  days.  The 
weather  was  very  warm,  this  being  the  month  of 


350  Times  of  Refreshing. 

August.  The  meetings  at  Athens  had  been  marked 
by  wonderful  power  and  the  influence  of  them  had 
been  carried  to  the  surrounding  villages.  Our  dear 
friends,  John  T.  Tanner  and  wife,  accompanied  us 
to  Elkmont  and  remained  with  us  several  days.  The 
whole  village  and  surrounding  country  were  ready 
and  anxious  for  the  meetings  and  from  the  first  the 
house  was  thronged  with  the  multitude  who  came 
from  many  miles  in  the  country  to  attend  the  meet- 
ings. The  distance  that  some  of  them  came  being  so 
great  that  they  remained  all  day  and  attended  the 
night  meeting.  In  a  day  or  two  the  house  would  not 
hold  the  crowds  of  people  who  came,  and  long  before 
the  time  appointed  for  the  meetings  to  begin  the 
house  would  be  filled  by  the  waiting,  anxious  au- 
dience and  still  they  would  keep  coming  from  all 
points  of  the  compass,  and  we  could  but  exclaim, 
'*What  crowds  of  people!"  **What  crowds  of  peo- 
ple!" 

This  was  evidently  one  of  the  times  spoken  of  as 
''Times  of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lord."  O!  for  such  a  hungering  and  thirsting  for 
Salvation  all  over  the  land.  We  remained  at  Elk- 
mont just  one  week.  The  whole  population  were 
brought  under  the  power  of  the  Gospel,  and  the 
whole  conversation  in  all  circles  of  society  was  of  the 
meetings  and  what  wonderful  things  the  Lord  was 
doing  in  Elkmont. 

Hundreds  were  converted  and  many  united  with 
the  churches.  One  of  the  most  active  workers  among 
a  certain  class  was  a  great  stalwart  young  man— 
over  six  feet  high.  He  had  at  one  time  been  a  member 
of  the  "Jesse  James  gang,"  but  had  now  been  con- 
verted some  two  years.  He  resided  at  a  town  eight 
miles  distant  but  came  to  Elkmont  and  remained 
during  most  of  the  meetings,  and  the  Lord  most  sig- 


Great  Demonstrations.  351 

nally  used  him  to  bring  his  comrades  to  Christ,  who 
had  saved  him,  though  he  had  been  an  outlaw.  In  all 
his  work  he  was  as  humble  and  artless  as  a  little  child. 
In  the  most  earnest  way  he  would  tell  the  hardened 
sinners  that  Jesus  came  to  save  the  lost,  adding  **and 
he  has  saved  me,"  and  his  simple  little  sermons 
reached  many  of  these  hardened  men  and  they  were 
saved. 

The  last  night  of  the  meeting  was  a  very  remark- 
able one.  The  house  was  densely  packed  until  there 
was  not  even  standing  room  in  the  aisles  or  around 
the  walls  for  another  one;  the  doors  were  filled  and 
the  windows,  the  window  sash  from  all  the  windows 
having  been  removed  to  allow  ventilation  and  to  give 
the  multitude  around  the  house  an  opportunity  to 
hear  the  preaching.  The  whole  yard  was  full  of 
people  and  a  hushed  quietness  reigned  over  them  all 
in  the  house  and  out  doors,  and  there  was  an  eager 
earnestness  in  their  faces  that  told  of  the  longing 
cry  of  the  soul  within,  thirsting  for  the  water  of  life. 

The  gospel  was  preached  to  this  thronging  mul- 
titude in  its  fullness,  the  heavens  were  opened  and  in 
the  house  and  outside  of  it  the  throng  of  anxious 
listeners  were  swayed  as  by  a  tempest ;  and  invisible 
power  swept  over  them  that  broke  and  melted  the 
hearts  of  the  unsaved,  and  sobs  and  moans  and  sup- 
pressed prayers  were  heard  at  intervals  from  all 
parts  of  that  company  who  tried  to  catch  every  word 
that  fell  from  the  preacher's  lips.  "When  the  sermon 
was  finished  Esther  was  so  much  exhausted  that  she 
had  to  be  taken  to  our  home,  but  the  throng  was  so 
great  that  she  could  not  get  to  the  door,  so  she  was 
taken  to  one  of  the  windows  and  assisted  to  the 
ground  by  the  great  strong  arms  of  some  colored 
men.  But  the  meeting  continued  and  the  whole 
house  became  literally  an  inquiry  room,  where  pen- 


352  Hospitality  of  the  People, 

itents  were  kneeling  in  prayer  and  Christians  were 
pointing  them  to  the  Saviour,  and  many  that  night 
were  converted.  Dr.  Pettiss,  where  we  made  our 
home,  came  into  the  meeting  before  it  was  adjourned 
and  in  consultation  with  him,  it  was  concluded  that 
Esther  could  not  attend  any  more  meetings  and  I 
dismissed  that  great  audience,  leaving  as  many  as 
one  hundred  seekers  and  many  hundreds  deeply  con- 
victed. I  could  not  carry  the  meeting  on  alone  and 
take  care  of  Esther  at  the  same  time,  but  we  rejoiced 
that  so  many  had  been  saved  and  we  know  that  in  the 
great  day  of  the  Lord's  coming  we  shall  see  many  of 
those  converted  at  Elkmont,  who  then  washed  their 
robes  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 
So  we  bade  farewell  to  the  little  town  of  Elk- 
mont and  the  dear  people,  where  the  Lord  had  so 
signally  owned  our  work.  With  a  prayer  for  dear 
Dr.  Pettiss  and  his  lovely  wife  and  family,  next  morn- 
ing we  boarded  the  train,  waved  our  last  adieu  to  the 
throngs  that  had  assembled  to  bid  us  farewell. 

*^Mr,  and  Mrs,  Frame  At  Elhmont/' 

^*The  meetings  at  Elkmont  continue  with  un- 
abated interest.  The  church  is  packed  to  overflow- 
ing day  and  night  and  hundreds  of  people  swarm  at 
the  doors  and  windows  to  catch  the  glowing  eloquence 
of  Mrs.  Frame  as  she  warns  sinners  of  the  torments 
of  the  lost  soul,  or  woos  them  to  the  paradise  in  re- 
serve for  those  who  accept  the  terms  of  Salvation. 

"The  hospitality  of  the  village  of  Elkmont 
knows  no  bounds ;  their  doors  are  thrown  wide  open 
and  everybody  are  invited  to  come  in.  Business  is  sus- 
pended during  hours  of  meeting.  No  one  standing 
in  the  way  of  sinners  and  great  good  is  being  done 
and  wonderful  results  are  crowning  the  God  given 
work  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  in  North  Alabama." 


At  the  Station,  353 


** Anotlier  Account' '  Says \ 

^*One  of  the  grandest  revivals  of  religion  that 
was  ever  known  in,  or  around  Elkmont,  conducted 
by  M'r.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  of  Ohio,  has  just  closed. 
The  whole  town  and  all  the  surrounding  country  was 
shaken  from  center  to  circumference  by  the  divine 
power  that  attended  their  preachings. 

*'It  surpassed  anything  I  ever  witnessed.  On 
every  eve  long  before  twilight  would  be  hidden  by 
the  shades  of  darkness,  the  house  would  be  crowded 
with  anxious  waiters  that  when  the  wonderful 
preachers  would  make  their  appearance  they  could 
scarcely  press  their  way  to  the  pulpit,  and  while  they 
spoke  such  profound  silence  would  prevail  that  the 
slightest  noise  could  have  been  heard  in  any  part  of 
the  house;  a  small  shot  could  have  been  heard  if 
dropped  upon  the  floor.  Men  who  with  biased  minds 
came  to  hear  Mrs.  Frame  preach  fell  beneath  the 
magic  of  her  voice,  in  recognition  of  her  Christ-given 
language. 

She  and  Mr.  Frame  left  for  Spring  Hill  this 
morning. 

Long  before  the  approaching  train  could  be 
heard  in  the  distance,  a  large  crowd  of  men,  women 
and  children  had  gathered  at  the  depot,  perhaps  to 
greet  them  for  the  last  time  in  life ;  at  the  tap  of  the 
bell,  as  the  train  moved  off,  was  a  sad  one  to  them, 
and  the  last  words  of  the  evangelists  were  these^ 
*'God  bless  you  all,  meet  us  in  heaven." 

Pressing  Calls. 

August, ^ISSl, 

While  at  Elkmont  we  received  three  more  invi- 
tations to  hold  meetings  at  three  other  towns.  These 


354  Pressing  Invitations, 

came  rather  in  the  form  of  petitions,  the  ministers  of 
the  churches  signing  their  names,  then  the  promi- 
nent citizens  of  the  town  and  commmiity. 

I  give  one  of  these  petitions  below,  and  the  other 
two  are  very  much  the  same. 

*^  August  31st,  1887. 
*'Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame: 

**  Having  just  passed  through  two  protracted 
meetings  in  this  town,  which  seemed  to  be  failures, 
as  far  as  inducing  sinners  to  turn  from  their  ways 
was  concerned,  and  feeling  that  the  churches  have 
great  need  of  being  revived,  we  invite  you  to  conduct 
a  series  of  meetings  in  the  town  of  Elkton,  beginning 
at  such  time  as  suits  you.  And  we  pray  that  you 
may  not  refuse  our  request. 

'*  Respectfully,  the  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  of 
Elkton  and  Community." 

Then  follows  fifty-two  names. 

Then  there  is  from  another  town  a  petition  with 
forty  names,  and  still  another  with  twenty  names 
signed  with  the  pastor's. 

But  Esther  could  not  go  further  without  rest,  so 
we  sent  our  denial,  with  our  regrets  and  went  home. 

At  Home,  Septemher,  1887. 

We  remained  at  home  until  September,  attended 
our  yearly  meeting  at  Richmond,  Indiana;  then 
rested  a  few  days  and  returned  to  the  South  to  hold  a 
series  of  meetings  at  Spring  Hill,  Tennessee,  arriv- 
ing there  on  November  6th,  1887.  Our  meeting 
continued  three  weeks,  being  held  in  the  Cumberland 
Presb}i;erian  meeting  house.  Brother  Lewis  Pow- 
ell, Methodist  minister,  and  Brother  Dixon,  Presby- 
terian, joined  heartily  in  the  work.  The  Lord  was 
with  us  here  from  the  beginning  of  our  meetings,  and 


The  Work  Goes  On,  355 

many  who  were  members  in  the  churches  were  con- 
verted. 

There  is  much  opposition  in  all  the  Southern 
States  to  women  preaching,  and  many  good  people 
fear  that  some  great  calamity  will  be  sure  to  follow 
if  they  are  ever  ordained  as  ministers  and  allowed 
to  occupy  the  pulpits.  There  was  much  opposition 
at  Spring  Hill  at  first,  but  it  soon  disappeared  from 
all  who  attended  the  meetings.  One  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  church  declared  he  would  never 
go  to  hear  a  woman  preach,  but  was  prevailed  on  to 
attend  and  hear  the  woman  just  once;  he  came,  and 
after  he  had  heard  her,  he  then  declared  that  he 
never  wanted  to  hear  a  man  preach  again,  so  these 
human  opinions  oscilate  from  one  point  to  another. 
But  still  the  Gospel  of  Christ  is  the  power  of  God 
unto  salvation  to  all  who  believe,  whether  it  is 
preached  by  a  man,  or  preached  by  a  woman. 

The  ex-Sheriff  of  Maury  County  was  converted, 
he  had  been  a  skeptic  and  a  great  gambler,  and  strong 
drink  had  nearly  ruined  him. 

After  his  conversion  at  one  of  the  day  meetings 
when  many  were  speaking  of  how  God  had  saved 
them,  he  arose  and  in  a  quiet  manner  said,  **I  am 
glad  to  say  that  I  know  that  Christ  has  power  on 
earth  to  forgive  sins ;  He  has  forgiven  my  sins  and  I 
know  it.  Mrs.  Frame,  permit  me  to  present  you 
these  cards  and  these  books,"  at  the  same  time  hand- 
ing Esther  some  volumes  of  Thomas  Paine 's  Theo- 
logical works  and  a  deck  of  cards.  Said  he,  *'Take 
these  as  an  evidence  of  the  power  of  God  to  save 
such  a  sinner  as  I  was." 

Speaking  of  the  cards,  he  said,  "Those  are  the 
cards  I  used  to  learn  my  little  boy  to  play  with,  but 
I  have  asked  his  forgiveness  and  he  will  never  play 
any  more." 


356  Gallatin,  Tennessee, 

Our  home  while  at  Spring  Hill  was  at  our  dear 
and  long  known  friends,  Josiah  and  Sarah  Claw- 
sons.  They  are  stanch  Friends  whom  we  have 
known  for  twenty  years.  They  are  devoted  Chris- 
tians and  an  honor  and  a  great  blessing  to  any  com- 
munity in  which  they  reside.  They  have  a  most 
lovely  family ;  God  bless  and  keep  them  all. 

Gallatin,  Tennessee,  December  Srd,  1887. 

We  arrived  here  two  weeks  ago  this  morning 
from  Spring  Hill  at  ten  o'clock  at  night,  with  the 
wind  blowing  a  gale,  the  dust  flying  in  clouds  and  the 
cold  blast  chilling  us  through  and  through,  when  we 
alighted  from  the  train. 

We  were  met  at  the  station  by  Brother  Wright, 
the  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  Church  South,  who  conducted 
us  to  a  boarding  house  where  we  remained  all  night. 
Next  morning  (Sabbath)  we  attended  our  first  meet- 
ing here.  In  the  afternoon  we  were  taken  to  the 
home  of  James  House,  where  we  were  entertained 
during  our  stay  at  Galatan ;  we  had  a  good  home. 

We  found  the  churches  here  in  a  cold  and  back- 
slidden state,  people  who  could  agree  on  no  other 
point  in  theology  were  united  in  the  belief  that  a 
woman  ought  not  to  preach.  Ministers,  Merchants, 
Lawyers,  Skeptics,  Backsliders,  Saloon-keepers,  peo- 
ple who  had  never  read  one-half  dozen  chapters  in 
the  Bible  in  their  lives,  people  of  all  classes  and  all 
creeds  knew  something  by  hearsay  or  otherwise  of 
what  Paul  taught  in  Corinthians  and  could  repeat 
one  sentence,  "Let  your  women  keep  silence  in  the 
churches." 

We  closed  our  meetings  at  Gallatin  on  Decem- 
ber 7th.  The  opposition  gave  way  and  our  congre- 
gation increased  until  the  large  house  would  not  hold 
the  audience  who  came. 


A  Good  Man,  357 

Some  of  the  church  members  who  would  not 
come  to  the  meetings  at  first  were  now  the  most  earn- 
est in  their  pleadings  for  us  to  remain  longer.  But 
the  time  had  come  for  us  to  close  our  work.  We  bade 
dear  Brother  Wright  good  by.  We  pay  this  tribute 
of  loving  testimony  to  this  dear  minister  of  the  gos- 
pel. He  is  one  of  God's  true  noblemen,  full  of  the 
spirit  of  Christ. 


&g|€J^ 


358  The  Land  of  Dixie, 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Columbia,  Tennessee. 

While  we  were  at  Spring  Hill  a  good  many  peo- 
ple came  from  Colmnbia  to  attend  our  meetings  and 
were  very  anxious  that  we  hold  some  meetings  there. 
But  as  there  had  been  no  invitation  from  any  of  the 
ministers  or  church  authorities,  we  could  not  go ;  we 
had  no  house  of  our  own  denomination  there. 

We  had  met  Brother  Greene,  pastor  of  the  Meth- 
odist Church  at  Columbia,  and  he  had  given  us  an 
invitation  to  hold  meetings  in  his  church,  but  soon 
afterward  wrote  us  that  some  of  his  officials  were  not 
in  harmony  with  us  coming. 

Meanwhile,  Mrs.  N.  Holeman,  a  Presbyterian, 
and  one  who  had  been  so  anxious  for  us  to  come,  had 
been  writing  us.  Mrs.  Holeman  offered  us  a  home  at 
her  house.  When  we  received  the  letter  before  men- 
tioned, we  replied  that  we  regreted  that  arrangements 
could  not  be  made  for  the  meetings,  that  we  believed 
that  God  would  give  us  a  great  meeting,  and  many 
would  be  saved.  That  we  thought  they  were  making 
a  great  mistake  in  letting  this  opportunity  pass  by 
we  felt  now  was  the  Lord's  time  to  bless  Columbia. 
When  this  letter  was  received  by  the  ministers  it  was 
taken  to  Mrs.  Holeman  and  read  to  her,  and  when 
she  had  heard  its  contents,  she  said:  ''Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Frame  must  come  to  Columbia  and  hold  some  meet- 
ings, and  they  shall  come  if  I  have  to  hire  a  hall  for 
them  mj^self  to  hold  meetings  in."  So  through  the 
assistance  of  Mi's.  Holeman  it  was  finally  decided 
that  the  meetings  could  be  held  in  the  Cumberland 
Presbyterian  house,  and  we  received  another  letter 
saying  an  arrangement  had  been  made  as  above 
stated.     To  this  letter  was  signed  the  names   of 


Boston  of  the  South.  359 

Brothers  Greene,  Hawkins  and  Grace,  ministers,  and 
also  the  names  of  Captain  Fusell  and  Mrs.  N.  Hole- 
man;  Sister  Holeman  opening  her  house  to  us  for 
our  home. 

Columbia  is  a  beautiful  town  and  is  denominated 
the  "Boston  of  the  South."  We  were  informed  that 
it  was  a  very  Godless  place,  and  that  the  churches 
were  dead,  that  many  of  the  prominent  members  were 
card  players,  dancers  and  theatergoers,  and  some  of 
them  used  intoxicating  drinks  and  profane  language, 
and  though  many  ministers  had  held  protracted 
meetings  there,  little  had  been  accomplished  for  good 
and  that  we  were  going  to  the  worst  community 
religiously  in  middle  Tennessee.  We  told  those  who 
informed  us  that  God  could  bless  Columbia,  and  they 
would  see  it,  because  He  had  sent  us. 

We  had  not  been  there  but  a  few  days  until  there 
was  a  most  wonderful  awakening  and  a  good  many 
had  been  converted  and  the  citizens  said  there  had 
not  been  so  much  interest  in  religion  for  many  years. 
The  whole  city  was  stirred  by  the  power  of  God. 
Presbyterians,  Methodists,  Baptists,  Campbellites, 
Episcopalians  and  all  the  people  came  pressing  to 
the  house  of  God  to  listen  to  the  Gospel  message,  as 
if  they  were  hearing  it  for  the  first  time  in  their  lives 
and  might  never  have  another  opportunity  to  hear. 

Our  meetings  continued  three  weeks.  There 
were  more  than  two  hundred  converted.  We  organ- 
ized a  young  people's  prayer  meeting  of  all  the  young 
men  and  women  belonging  to  the  different  churches. 
There  was  more  .than  seventy-five  of  them,  and  the 
Lord  had  greatly  blessed  them  in  their  meetings. 

A  leading  doctor,  one  of  the  converts,  who  had 
been  a  skeptic  and  scoffer  at  religion,  became  the 
leader  of  this  young  peopple's  meeting.  The  only 
open  opposer  of 'the  meetings  was  Mr.  Mitchell,  the 


360  An  Ovation, 

Presbyterian  minister.  One  day  this  minister  met 
one  of  the  prominent  citizens  who  was  not  a  Chris- 
tian and  began  to  speak  against  the  woman  preach- 
ing, and  against  the  meetings,  and  the  man  replied  to 
him,  **  Well,  Mr.  Mitchell,  you  have  been  here  preach- 
ing for  twenty-five  years  and  Mrs.  Frame  has  done 
more  good  in  this  commimity  in  the  short  time  she 
has  been  here  than  you  have  in  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury." 

Brothers  Grace,  Greene  and  Hawkins,  all  with 
one  accord,  assisted  in  the  meetings  by  giving  their 
presence  and  earnest  work,  and  the  Christian  bene- 
diction they  gave  us  when  we  were  about  to  depart 
from  among  them  will  never  be  forgotten  by  us.  On 
the  second  Sabbath  the  interest  had  become  so  great 
that  it  was  thought  best  to  have  the  meetings  at  the 
Opera  House,  as  it  was  much  the  largest  building  in 
the  city. 

Our  last  meeting  was  one  for  thanksgiving  and 
praise,  and  it  only  lacked  the  numbers  that  St.  John 
saw,  when  he  was  receiving  that  vision  on  the  "Isle 
of  Patmos,"  and  listening  to  the  acclamations  of  the 
multitudes  of  the  redeemed  for  those  present  to  hear 
something  of  the  same  rejoicing  that  John  heard. 

The  last  meeting  the  house  was  filled  to  its  ut- 
most capacity  and  hundreds  testified  to  the  power 
of  God  in  the  soul  and  praised  the  Lord  with  loud 
voices.  There  was  rather  an  unusual  and  remark- 
able demonstration  at  the  close  of  the  meeting.  Cap- 
tain Fusell  arose  in  the  meeting  and  said:  *'We 
have  had  these  good  people  with  us  now  for  nearly 
three  weeks,  and  we  all  feel  that  their  visit  has  been 
a  very  great  blessing  to  us  and  our  city,  and  I  want  all 
who  will  promise  to  meet  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  in 
heaven  to  stand  up  and  wave  your  handkerchiefs." 


To  the  Uttermost,  361 

It  was  a  wonderful  scene  in  a  crowded  meeting, 
filled  with  enthusiastic,  happy  people,  with  one  heart 
and  one  mind.  That  vast  audience  rose  in  mass,  they 
seemed  electrified  and  there  was  such  a  flutter  and 
waving  of  handkerchiefs  as  we  never  beheld  in  any 
religious  assembly,  and  yet  there  was  a  solemnity, 
and  chaste  decorum  in  this  manifestation  of  religious 
fervor  in  anticipation  of  the  glad  reunion  in  heaven, 
that  made  this  extraordinary  demonstration  very 
fitting. 

As  By  Fire, 

Thus  closed  our  series  of  meetings  at  Columbia. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holeman  entertained  us  all  the  time  of 
our  stay  here,  and  though  there  were  many  lovely 
homes  offered,  they  would  not  hear  to  our  going  any 
other  place  to  stay.  They  are  tried  friends  whose 
love  we  have  tested  and  Imow  it  is  true.  God  bless 
them. 

Soon  after  coming  to  Columbia  we  formed  the 
acquaintance  of  Mr.  Ruttle,  wife  and  daughter,  all 
members  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  the  daughter 
told  us  of  her  brother,  a  young  man  in  New  York 
City,  and  that  he  would  be  home  in  a  few  days,  was 
in  poor  health  and  was  very  anxious  for  him  to  get 
home  before  we  went  away.  He  was  skeptical  and  a 
great  sinner. 

In  a  few  days  the  family  received  word  that  he 
was  on  his  road  home  and  was  quite  ill.  Next  they 
received  a  telegram  that  the  express  train  that  should 
have  reached  Columbia  in  the  evening  had  been 
thrown  from  the  track,  and  that  he  was  sick  at  Spring 
Hill,  twelve  miles  distant,  and  for  his  father  to  come 
for  him  with  carriage.  The  father  hastened  to  him 
and  he  arrived  at  Columbia  next  day.  But  it  was 
clear  that  the  time  of  the  son  on  earth  was  short,  con- 


362  A  Last  Call, 

sumption  had  nearly  completed  its  work.  John  Rut- 
tie  was  nearing  his  end  of  life. 

We  were  sent  for  to  come  and  pray  with  him. 
We  hastened  to  his  bedside  and  after  talking  with 
him  a  little  time,  we  told  him  that  there  was  little 
hope  of  his  recovery.  We  then  asked  him  if  he  was 
ready  to  die,  and  he  answered  us  he  was  not.  Then 
we  said  to  him,  ''John,  do  you  desire  to  be  converted 
and  do  you  want  us  to  pray  for  you,"  and  he  said, 
"O!  yes,  pray  for  me."  He  confessed  he  was  a  sin- 
ner, and  we  prayed  for  him  and  told  him  that  he  must 
make  a  complete  surrender  of  himself  unto  God,  and 
that  if  he  did,  God  was  able  and  willing  to  save  him. 
We  visited  him  again  next  day,  he  was  glad  to  see  us. 
We  asked  him  if  he  had  prayed  during  the  night,  and 
he  said,  "Yes,  a  number  of  times,  and  I  feel  better." 
Then  we  put  this  direct  question  to  him,  "John,  does 
Jesus  save  you?"  He  answered,  "I  believe  that  he 
does."  The  physician,  who  was  John's  companion, 
and  he  and  John  had  made  sport  of  religion  while 
in  health,  now  said  to  John  Ruttle.  "John,  our  re- 
ligion will  not  do  now,  I  can  do  no  more  for  you,  only 
relieve  you  temporarily,  you  must  put  your  trust  in 
God. "  The  next  morning  we  were  hastily  summoned 
to  his  bedside,  he  was  dying,  already  he  was  passing 
the  portals,  but  he  told  us  Christ  had  saved  him  and 
he  was  ready  to  go.  His  loved  ones  embraced  him, 
and  then  as  his  vision  was  closed  to  the  things  of 
earth,  he  called  the  name  of  a  beloved  sister,  who  had 
died  some  years  before,  and  smiling,  said :  ' '  Happy ! 
happy!"  and  thus  passed  away. 

John  Ruttle  was  saved  as  by  fire.  But  his  case 
is  one  among  a  thousand.  May  God  save  people  from 
waiting  until  they  are  sick  unto  death  before  they 
repent.  While  in  health  is  the  time  to  be  saved.  That 
which  a  man  sows  shall  he  also  reap.    Sins  may  be 


Some  Resolutions.  363 

forgiven,  and  sinners  may  be  saved  in  the  last  hours 
of  their  lives,  but  wasted  time  can  never  be  regained. 

"Death  enters,  and  there's  no  defense, 
His  time  there's  none  can  tell. 
He'll  in  a  moment  call  thee  hence, 
To  heaven,  or  down  to  hell." 

** Communicated^^  For  The  Columbia  Press. 

**The  Christian  Pastors  of  Columbia  v^hose 
names  are  subscribed,  met  this  morning,  December 
27th,  at  9  o'clock,  and  adopted  the  following  preamble 
and  resolutions : 

**  Whereas,  The  revival  services  conducted  in 
Columbia  by  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame  have  closed 
with  results  most  happy,  and  we  believe  permanent, 
we  deem  it  our  duty  as  co-operating  Pastors  to  ex- 
press through  the  public  prints  our  hearty  approval 
of  those  consecrated  servants  of  God  and  of  their 
work. 

^'Resolved,  That  we  note  with  pleasure  the  con- 
version of  many  sinners  in  Columbia,  and  the  spirit- 
ual quickening  of  all  the  churches  through  the  in- 
strumentality of  these  holy  people  among  us. 

''Resolved,  In  the  conduct  of  revival  services 
by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  there  are  no  eccentricities  of 
manner  or  extravagance  of  expression  which  hinders 
the  usefulness  of  so  many  Evangelists. 

''Resolved,  That  we  approve  the  total  ignoring 
by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  the  minor  di:fferences  between 
the  churches  and  Mrs.  Frame's  kindly  manner  toward 
all  those  who  oppose  her  ministerial  calling. 

"Resolved,  That  we  recommend  to  churches  and 
communities  everywhere  these  persons  whom  we 
have  tried  and  found  so  efficient  in  the  work  where- 


364  Calling  a  Rait, 

unto  they  have  been  called,  and  to  which  they  pro- 
pose to  devote  the  residue  of  their  days. 

*'W.  M.  Green,  Pastor  M.  E.  Church,  South. 

"A.  W.  Hawkins,  Pastor  C.  P.  Church. 

**W.  C.  Grace,  Pastor  Baptist  Church. 

''L.  C.  Young,  Minister  M.  E.  Church,  South. 

**  J.  S.  Frierson,  Pastor  2nd  Presbyterian  Church. 

**W.  T.  Usury,  Pastor  Baptist  Church.'^ 
We  praise  the  Lord,  our  God,  for  the  wonderful 
victory  that  He  gave  us  over  sin  in  Columbia,  and 
for  the  hundreds  of  people  who  were  converted  from 
their  sins,  and  found  peace  in  God.  To  Him  be  all 
the  praise. 

Calling  A  Halt. 

We  had  arranged  for  several  series  of  meetings 
in  the  States  of  Indiana  and  Ohio,  and  one  or  two  in 
Iowa  for  the  Winter  and  Spring  of  1888.  But  there 
is  a  limit  to  human  endurance,  and  we  found  after 
our  return  from  Friends  Yearly  Meeting  at  Rich- 
mond, Ind.,  in  September,  we  must  rest. 

From  September  13th,  1887  to  December  8th, 
we  had  held  nine  series  of  meetings,  eight  of  them  in 
Alabama,  holding  two  meetings  each  day,  and  three 
meetings  on  the  Sabbath  quite  often,  besides  visiting 
schools,  attending  some  f  imerals  and  our  own  yearly 
meeting. 

The  meetings  in  the  South  were  held  in  the  months 
of  June,  July  and  August,  the  weather  was  very 
warm  and  this  made  the  work  more  exhausting.  Es- 
ther's health  continued  feeble  and  I  was  weary,  so 
we  finally  cancelled  all  our  winter  engagements  but 
two,  one  at  Elmore,  near  Toledo,  Ohio,  and  the  other 
at  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa. 

Esther  went  to  Elmore  about  the  20th  of  Febru- 
ary, and  I  remained  at  home  to  attend  to  some  busi- 


At  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa.  365 

ness  and  was  to  join  her  soon  but  received  word  from 
her  in  a  few  days  that  she  could  not  prosecute  the 
work  and  asked  me  to  meet  her  in  Chicago  and  we 
would  go  on  to  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  and  remain  a 
time  at  Dr.  O.  W.  Gordon's,  a  brother  of  hers. 

Council  Bluffs,  Iowa. 

I  met  Esther  at  Chicago  and  we  took  the  C.  B. 
&  Q.  Railway  train  for  Council  Bluffs.  We  remained 
at  Brothers  for  five  weeks.  Esther  improved  some 
in  health  and  we  held  a  few  meetings  in  the  First  M. 
E.  Church  at  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa.  On  March  21st 
we  left  Council  Bluffs. 

There  was  a  blizzard  blowing  from  the  Northwest 
when  we  started  and  the  whole  wide  stretch  of  the 
Missouri  bottom  lying  between  the  range  of  ^'Bluffs'* 
on  either  side  of  the  river  was  covered  with  snow, 
and  we  must  be  driven  to  the  station  one  mile  away. 
When  we  arrived  at  the  station  we  found  that  there 
had  been  a  change  of  time  made  and  the  train  we 
were  to  take  for  St.  Louis  did  not  stop  at  this  station, 
but  came  across  the  river  from  Omaha  and  we  must 
go  down  the  river  two  miles  to  another  depot.  It  was 
yet  twenty  minutes  until  train  time  so  we  started 
with  a  rush,  at  full  speed,  through  the  blinding  snow 
blizzard  and  along  the  slush  covered,  snow  filled 
roads.  When  we  had  arrived  within  about  one-half 
mile  of  the  station,  and  while  driving  close  to  the  rail- 
way, we  saw  the  coming  train.  Turning  the  horses' 
heads  right  in  toward  the  track,  we  put  whipp  to  them 
and  with  wild  gesticulations,  waving  our  hats  and 
shouting,  we  signalled  the  train  and  were  delighted 
that  they  were  putting  on  the  brakes  and  would  stop 
and  take  us  on  board.  We  bade  a  hasty  adieu  to  our 
brother  and  were  soon  in  the  car,  being  whirled  away 
toward  the  city  of  St.  Louis. 


366  The  Sunny  South, 

We  arrived  at  Nashville,  Tennessee,  March  21st, 
1888.  We  found  we  had  left  the  cold  storm  behind  us, 
the  meadows  were  green  and  the  leaves  were  making 
their  appearance. 

Nashville,  Tennessee. 

Our  meetings  in  Nashville  were  held  in  the  Caroll 
Street  M.  E.  Church  South,  and  continued  three 
weeks.  I  only  remained  two  weeks,  as  business  called 
me  home.  The  Lord  was  with  us,  indeed,  at  these 
meetings,  and  many  were  saved.  The  last  night  of 
the  meeting  fifteen  were  converted  and  many  more 
arose  for  prayer. 

There  was  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty 
professed  conversion  at  these  meetings  and  the 
church  was  greatly  revived.  We  could  not  pursue 
the  work  further  and  Esther  came  home  where  we 
remained  long  enough  for  her  to  take  a  little  rest,  and 
for  me  to  plant  our  garden  and  attend  to  some  house- 
hold affairs. 

We  were  neither  of  us  well  and  felt  especially 
at  this  time  that  the  cares  of  life  were  pressing  heav- 
ily upon  us.  But  having  once  more  set  things  all 
right  at  the  little  home,  as  far  as  we  could,  we  com- 
mitted our  dear  children  to  the  care  of  the  Saviour 
who  had  ever  been  our  refuge,  and  started  once  more 
for  the  South. 

Fayetteville,  Tennessee, 

We  arrived  at  Fayetteville  on  the  evening  of  the 
21st  of  April,  1888.  This  is  an  old  town  and  we  were 
informed  that  Lorenzo  Dow,  once,  in  the  year  1813, 
preached  here  and  in  his  sermon  made  the  remark, 
*^It  is  said  that  every  town  has  a  Devil,  but  I  believe 
that  every  man  in  Fayetteville  has  a  devil." 


Jjorenzo  Bow's  Remark,  367 

Whether  the  great  preacher  had  a  correct  knowl- 
edge of  the  people  at  that  time  we  cannot  say,  but 
one  thing  was  plain  to  us,  that  after  the  lapse  of  more 
than  seventy  years  all  the  old  devils  were  not  dead, 
or  if  they  were,  another  company  had  arrived  and 
taken  up  their  abode  there. 

We  learned  that  during  the  three  or  four  years 
preceding  our  coming  to  Fayetteville  some  other 
Evangelists  had  held  series  of  meetings  here,  and 
made  it  a  very  easy  matter  to  be  a  Christian. 

A  mental  assent  to  the  truth  that  Jesus  is  the 
Saviour,  and  desiring  to  be  Christians,  and  holding 
up  their  hands  as  a  testimony  to  their  belief  was 
taken  as  sufficient  evidence  of  conversion.  Then 
their  names  were  enrolled  and  they  were  Christians. 
To  be  born  of  the  Spirit,  and  to  be  changed  from 
nature  to  grace  seemed  to  be  a  new  and  strange  doc- 
trine to  many  who  had  supposed  that  they  were 
Christians. 

We  remained  at  Fayetteville  a  little  more  than 
two  weeks  and  a  half.  The  people  in  Fayetteville  de- 
clared they  had  never  had  such  good  and  spiritual 
meetings. 

We  found  here,  as  at  almost  all  places  in  the 
South,  opposition  to  women's  ministry,  but  most  of 
it  came  from  a  class  who  are  very  ignorant  or  who 
have  little  spirituality. 

Mulberry,  Tennessee. 

During  our  stay  at  Fayetteville  many  people, 
and  a  number  of  ministers,  came  from  the  country 
and  surrounding  towns  and  gave  us  pressing  invita- 
tions to  hold  meetings  with  them,  if  only  for  a  few 
days.  Among  those  who  pressed  us  to  come  was 
Brother  Ragan,  a  Methodist  minister  from  the  vil- 


368  Mulberry,  Tennessee. 

lage  of  Mulberry,  eight  miles  from  Fayetteville. 
Many  of  his  members  had  attended  our  meetings, 
as  it  was  no  unusual  thing  for  people  to  come  eight 
and  ten  miles,  and  sometimes  even  fifteen.  We  told 
Brother  Ragan  we  would  come  to  Mulberry  a  few 
days,  and  on  Friday,  May  11th,  we  held  our  first 
meeting  there  at  night.  The  house  was  filled  and  a 
most  precious  meeting  we  had,  though  there  was 
much  curiosity  to  hear  and  see  the  ** Quakers"  and 
the  woman. 

As  there  are  no  Friends  in  this  part  of  Tennes- 
see, and  but  few  in  any  part  of  the  South,  except 
North  Carolina,  and  oiily  a  traditionary  knowledge 
of  our  people,  we  were  a  spectacle  for  men,  women 
and  children.  Some  thought  we  were  Shakers  and 
inquired  if  Friends  believed  in  marriage ;  others  said, 
**We  thought  you  waited  to  be  moved  by  the  spirit," 
and  we  did  not  not  know  when  you  would  preach. 
We  told  them  that  Quakers  not  only  professed  to  be 
moved  by  the  spirit,  but  we  believed  in  being  iilled 
with  the  spirit,  and  when  people  were  thus  filled,  they 
did  move  mightily  for  God. 

Others  thought  our  religion  consisted  in  the 
*^ Style"  and  *' Color"  of  our  dress,  and  the  odd  shape 
of  the  women  *s  bonnets,  and  that  the  men  wore 
** Broad  Brimmed  Hats"  and  saying  **Thee"  and 
* '  Thou. ' '  Said  one  young  lady  to  Esther,  *  *  I  thought 
you  would  be  a  very  taU  woman,  having  blue  eyes  and 
wearing  a  poke  bonnet,  and  that  you  would  have  a 
very  solemn  face,  and  Mr.  Frame  would  have  on  a 
very  large,  broad  brimmed  hat,  and  that  in  your  meet- 
ings you  would  be  very  quiet."  It  was  the  old  story 
of  human  ignorance  and  willful  blindness. 

We  remained  at  Mulberry  ten  days  and  we  know 
that  the  Lord  led  us  there.  We  had  wonderful  meet- 
ings, backsliders  were  reclaimed,  many  church  mem- 


Farewell  to  Mulberry,  369 

bers  were  converted  and  those  who  had  been  singing 
all  their  lives, 

"Saviour  shall  we  ever  live 

At  this  poor  dying  rate, 
My  love  so  faint,  so  cold  to  thy, 

And  thine  to  us  so  great," 

now  sang  that  other  hymn  so  appropriate  to  the 
saved  soul, 

"Amazing  grace  how  sweet  the  sound. 

That  saved  a  wretch  like  me, 
I  once  was  lost,  but  now  I'm  found, 

Was  blind  but  now  I  see." 

There  is  a  school  here  and  a  large  number  of 
the  students  attended  during  the  entire  meetings,  and 
many  of  them  were  converted.  The  influence  of  this 
meeting  was  wide  spread.  One  man  who  owned  a 
factory  fourteen  miles  away,  came  to  the  meetings 
and  said  he  would  come  no  more,  but  next  day  came 
back  and  brought  his  whole  family  and  remained  sev- 
eral days. 

While  at  Mulberry  we  made  our  home  at  Brother 
Middleton's,  and  we  shall  carry  the  memory  of  him- 
self and  his  dear  daughters  imtil  our  work  on  earth 
is  finished.  We  have  continually  to  make  record  of 
the  very  great  kindness  shown  us  by  the  dear  families 
where  we  have  been  entertained.  The  Lord  gave  us 
the  hearts  of  the  people  here.  O!  the  fields  are  so 
white  to  harvest,  and  there  are  so  few  laborers  filled 
with  the  spirit. 

We  believe  that  the  little  village  of  Mulberry  set 
among  the  green  hills  will  have  its  complement 
among  those  who  came  before  the  vision  of  John,  the 
great  company  that  no  man  could  number.  What  a 
grand  army  we  shall  meet  in  heaven  of  those  we  knew 
on  earth,  those  among  whom  we  mingled. 


370  Mt.  Pleasant^  Tennessee, 

There  were  three  churches  in  Mulberry,  Metho- 
dist, Baptist  and  Presbyterian,  with  a  membership 
of  three  hundred,  and  out  of  this  number  only  four 
of  them  were  reported  as  active  workers. 

Brother  Ragan,  the  Methodist  minister,  was  a 
spiritually  minded  man  and  is  devoted  wholly  to  his 
work. 

From  MuTherry  To  Mt,  Pleasant, 

May  22nd,  1888,  came  by  carriage  conveyance  to 
Fayetteville,  and  from  Fayetteville  to  Nashville  by 
rail.  Esther  had  arranged  to  deliver  a  lecture  at 
CaroU  Street  M.  E.  Church  on  **Our  Foremothers, " 
the  house  was  crowded  to  repletion  and  the  pulpit 
and  rostrum  was  'banked  with  a  profusion  of  beauti- 
ful flowers  and  the  great  audience  seemed  as  happy 
as  the  flowers  were  heautiful.  While  Esther  spoke  of 
the  virtues,  the  sacrifices  and  marvelous  things  that 
our  ''Foremothers"  had  accomplished,  one  gentleman 
remarked  that  he  **did  not  know  before  that  women 
could  do  so  much.*'  We  had  the  great  privilege  of 
attending  the  young  people's  prayer  meeting,  that  we 
organized  when  we  held  the  series  of  meetings  here, 
and  we  found  that  the  young  men  and  women  who 
had  been  converted  were  doing  much  to  bring  their 
associates  to  Christ.  There  was  about  seventy-five 
of  these  young  people  present  at  that  night  meeting 
and  as  the  sweet  songs  and  heartfelt  prayers  sounded 
forth,  we  felt  that  our  work  here  was  much  blessed, 
and  that  some  of  these  dear  young  men  and  women 
would  be  preaching  the  Gospel  when  our  work  had 
been  finished. 

From  Carroll  Street  Church,  Nashville,  we  went 
to  Columbia,  Tennessee,  and  remained  over  night 
with  our  dear  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holeman,  and 


The  Negro  and  Mule.  371 

next  day,  May  24tli,  held  our  first  meeting  at  Mt. 
Pleasant,  twelve  miles  from  Columbia.  This  is  one 
of  the  finest  agricultural  districts  in  middle  Tennes- 
see. All  cereals  and  vegetables  ripen  at  least  one 
month  earlier  than  they  do  in  Ohio.  We  gazed  with 
delight  on  the  luxuriant  fields  of  early  ripening  wheat 
merging  from  green  to  gold,  the  wide  enclosed  fields 
of  pasture  land,  over  which  were  scattered 
many  great  forest  trees,  and  grazing  on  these 
rich  pasture  lands  there  were  fine  herds  of 
cattle  and  mules  and  horses.  Then  there  are 
immense  fields  of  Irish  potatoes,  being  culti- 
vated by  t  he  ever  present  mule  and  negro,  com- 
panions in  toil,  the  last  mentioned  following  the  lazy 
animal  backward  and  forward,  up  and  down  the  long 
length  of  the  rows  and  conversing  with  each  other 
(the  Negroes  I  mean)  in  that  soft  mellow  voice  so 
peculiar  to  the  race.  Then  there  were  the  large,  old- 
fashioned  two-story  "Southern"  built  houses  with 
wide  porches;  these  houses,  mostly  situated  quite  a 
distance  from  the  public  highway,  and  some  of  them 
almost  in  the  center  of  the  "Plantation."  Near  many 
of  these  houses  stood  little  dingy,  weather  beaten, 
decaying  log  cabins,  which  were  formerly  the  "Nig- 
ger Quarters." 

We  were  entertained  at  the  Methodist  Parson- 
age, the  home  of  "Brother"  and  "Sister"  Amis. 

Many  of  the  people  here  had  attended  our  meet- 
ings at  Columbia,  so  the  house  was  filled  from  the 
first  meeting.  The  Lord  was  in  our  midst  to  bless. 
To  give  any  minute  account  of  this  meeting  would 
be  but  to  repeat  the  triumphs  of  Gospel  grace,  that 
were  of  a  like  character  in  other  places  spoken  about. 

At  the  conclusion  of  our  meetings  at  Mt.  Pleas- 
ant, we  returned  to  our  home  in  Jamestown,  Ohio. 


372  Lawrenceburg,  Tennessee, 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Lawrenceburg,  Tennessee, 

On  August  3rd  we  again  started  for  the  South, 
Lawrenceburg,  Tennessee.  This  is  the  county  seat 
of  Lawrence  Coimty.  We  had  made  an  engagement 
with  Brother  Woodward,  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  Church 
South,  to  hold  a  series  of  meetings  there.  This  little 
town  lying  on  the  borderland  of  the  hills,  we  found 
to  be  emphatically  a  Southern  town,  the  people  were 
warm  hearted  and  hospitable,  but  strong  in  their 
likes,  and  dislikes,  for  friends  and  enemies.  We  were 
met  at  the  railway  station  by  Brother  Woodward 
with  carriage  and  driven  to  Dr.  Harvey's,  and  here 
we  were  to  be  entertained  while  in  Lawrenceburg. 
We  had  a  genuine  hearty  welcome  by  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Harvey.  Their  house  stood  quite  a  little  distance 
back  from  the  street  and  was  hidden  almost  from 
view  by  the  great  trees  that  surrounded  and  over- 
shadowed it.  A  peaceful,  quiet  home,  just  such  as 
we  needed.  Vines  formed  a  net  work  on, the  shrubs 
and  flowers  bloomed  along  the  walk  ways  and  happy 
birds  warbled  their  sweetest  melodies  among  the 
branches  of  the  trees.  Dr.  Harvey's  family  con- 
sisted of  himself,  wife  and  two  children ;  the  son,  a 
youth  of  twelve  years,  and  the  daughter  a  young 
woman.  Dr.  Harvey  was  a  member  of  the  old  Bap- 
tists and  a  man  of  deep  Christian  experience  and 
piety.  Sister  Harvey  was  a  Methodist  and  had  a 
spirit  as  sweet  and  gentle  as  a  May  morning  and  a 
heart  large  and  tender  enough  to  embrace  all  human- 
ity. 

There  was  not  that  rush  and  filling  the  house  at 
first  that  has  been  so  marked  a  feature  at  many  other 
places. 

There  were  only  two  Protestant  churches  in  the 


Judge  Syms.  373 

town,  Methodist  Episcopal  and  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian. A  number  of  the  most  prominent  people, 
some  of  them  members  of  the  church,  were  deadly 
enemies,  and  though  mutual  friends  had  done  all 
they  could  to  make  peace,  it  was  of  no  avail  and 
the  feud  became  more  bitter,  and  the  citizens  of  the 
town  were  in  constant  fear  that  a  terrible  tragedy 
would  take  place,  for  these  parties  carried  deadly 
weapons  and  would  use  them  on  the  slightest  provo- 
cation. 

One  of  them  (Judge  Syms)  at  this  time  holding 
office,  and  his  brother  John  Syms,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  lawyers  in  the  county,  a  Mr.  Rose,  a  prom- 
inent business  man,  and  Mr.  Stewart,  with  others, 
were  implicated  in  the  quarrel. 

All  these  men  attended  the  meetings.  They  lis- 
tened to  the  simple  telling  of  the  story  of  Jesus  and 
His  love,  and  their  attention  was  arrested  and  hearts 
tendered  and  in  one  of  the  morning  meetings  when 
many  seekers  were  coming  forward,  and  backsliders 
were  renewing  their  covenants,  Judge  Syms  arose 
and  asked  the  prayers  of  the  church,  and  in  a  day  or 
two  was  converted,  and  testified  in  meeting  that  all 
hatred  and  malice  was  taken  out  of  his  heart,  and 
that  he  loved  everybody  and  was  now  ready  to  meet 
and  shake  hands  with  all  and  said,  **If  I  have  in- 
jured any  one  I  ask  their  forgiveness." 

His  conversion  produced  a  profound  impression 
on  the  audience  and  on  all  the  community. 

Our  meetings  thus  far  had  been  held  in  the 
Methodist  Meeting  House,  but  now  the  Presbyterian 
minister  and  his  Elders  were  very  desirous  for  some 
of  the  meetings  to  be  held  at  the  Presbyterian  Meet- 
ing House. 

So  it  was  arranged  to  have  the  day  meetings 
there,  as  there  were  some  of  the  Presbyterians  who 
did  not  come  to  the  other  house. 


374  Jubilee  Meeting, 

The  meetings  by  this  time  had  become  of  very 
marked  interest,  and  people  were  daily  and  nightly 
being  converted ;  not  only  the  whole  town  was  awak- 
ened, but  many  came  from  the  country  from  a  long 
distance,  and  from  adjacent  towns  ten  and  fifteen 
miles  away,  so  mightily  grew  the  word  of  God  among 
the  people.  After  we  had  held  one  or  two  meetings 
in  the  Cumberland  church  in  the  day  time  a  climax 
was  reached,  when  in  the  midst  of  a  wonderful  testi- 
mony meeting,  John  Syms  arose  and  said:  *' Brother 
Rose,  come  over  here/'  Mr.  Rose  had  been  his  dead- 
ly enemy,  and  when  the  proposition  was  made  there 
was  silence  for  a  moment,  and  then  by  a  spontaneous 
impulse  the  whole  congregation  arose  to  their  feet. 
Mr.  Rose  came  forward  and  warmly  grasped  the  ex- 
tended hand  of  Mr.  John  Sjnns,  and  the  congrega- 
tion began  singing  that  grand  old  hjnnn,  **I  am 
bound  for  the  Promised  Land."  It  was  the  old  time 
singing,  full  of  heart  melody;  it  was  praise  to  God 
filled  with  Divine  love,  such  as  we  hear  only  when 
these  human  harps  of  a  thousand  strings  are  swept 
by  the  Master  in  the  person  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  people  sang  and  wept,  and  rejoiced  and 
mingled  together,  and  enjoyed  such  a  time  of  hand- 
shaking as  they  had  not  witnessed  for  many  years. 
People  were  reconciled  to  each  other  who  had  been 
enemies,  and  those  who  had  been  so  anxious  for  these 
men  to  be  friends  shouted  for  joy.  A  day  of  Penta- 
cost  had  come;  it  was  none  other  than  the  gate  of 
heaven  to  many  souls. 

When  the  jubilee  of  rejoicing  was  over  and  these 
reconciliations  had  somewhat  subsided,  we  invited 
penitents  forward  for  prayer.  Many  came,  and  among 
them  a  Dr.  White,  a  prominent  man  in  the  commu- 
nity ;  he  had  been  an  infidel.  He  came  weeping,  and 
I  said  to  him,  *' Doctor,  are  you  determined  to  be  a 


The  Tobacco  Pledge,  375 

Christian,  and  abandon  all  your  sins  and  give  your- 
self to  God  the  best  you  can?"  His  answer  was 
prompt,  **0l  yes;  but  I  have  'been  such  a  sinner;  I 
have  said  so  much  against  the  Christian  people  and 
done  so  much  harm  to  the  church."  I  told  him  that 
God  would  forgive  him  if  he  would  abandon  his  sins 
and  make  amends  as  far  as  possible.  He  said,  ^'0 !  I 
am  willing  to  do  that."  Then  said  I,  *'Call  on  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,"  and  he  began  to  pray,  and 
we  prayed  with  him,  while  the  meeting  continued  in 
testimony ;  I  went  close  to  him  and  urged  him  to  arise 
and  make  confession  to  the  church  that  he  had  abused 
them.  I  shall  not  soon  forget  the  illumination  of  his 
face,  still  tear-stained,  and  that  a  few  moments  be- 
fore had  been  shadowed  with  grief,  as  Dr.  White  re- 
plied to  me,  ^'I  have  got  there!'* 

Dr.  White  was  saved,  and  another  one  was  added 
to  the  company  of  the  redeemed.  God  had  a  succes- 
sion of  happy  surprises  in  store  for  Lawrenceburg. 

Brother  Nixon,  the  editor  of  the  Latvrenceburg 
Neivs,  and  a  Presbyterian  minister,  and  a  backslider, 
came  forward  when  Dr.  White  was  converted,  and 
embraced  him,  for  they  were  great  friends ;  then  he 
made  his  consecration  and  said  he  was  determined 
from  this  forward  to  devote  his  life  to  preaching  the 
gospel.  A.  Wilson,  a  Presbyterian  elder,  who  had 
been  a  great  card  player  for  amusement,  publicly  re- 
nounced cards  and  said  he  would  play  no  more.  He 
gave  us  some  of  his  cards  with  his  name  written  on 
them,  and  burned  the  others. 

Many  of  the  people  are  inveterate  users  of  to- 
bacco. Esther  had  spoken  of  the  tobacco  habit  as  be- 
ing uncleanly,  and  the  enormous  sums  of  money  ex- 
pended for  it,  and  Brother  Neely,  the  Presbyterian 
minister,  gave  up  his  tobacco  and  sent  me  his  pipe. 


376  Saloon-keeper  Saved. 

I  cannot  use  it  to  any  advantage,  and  so  I  have  laid  it 
away  as  a  relic. 

A  Presbyterian,  Brother  Tyler,  had  come  from 
Birmingham,  Alabama,  to  see  us  about  going  there 
and  holding  meetings.  One  day  he  was  in  Lawyer 
Syms'  office  in  the  Court  House,  and  the  conversation 
turned  on  the  subject  of  tobacco,  and  finally  a  prayer 
meeting  was  proposed,  and  after  prayer,  the  com- 
pany who  were  together,  drew  up  the  following 
pledge,  and  all  signed  it : 

^^Anti'Tohacco  Pledge. 

*^We,  the  undersigned  gentlemen  of  Lawrence- 
burg,  pledge  each  other  that  we  will  forever  quit  the 
use  of  tobacco,  and  discourage  the  use  of  the  same  in 
others.    Signed, 

**Rev.  Tyler,  Presbyterian  Minister. 

**W.  M.  Neeiy,  Presbyterian  Minister. 

*' John  B.  Sjons,  Lawyer. 

*'E.  B.  Wilson,  Presbyterian  Elder. 

**W.  F.  Nixon,  Editor. 

**  J.  C.  Stewart,  Business  man. 

*' Frank  Dooly. 

**  James  W.  Garrett." 
This  prayer  meeting,  and  pledging  themselves, 
occurred  in  the  chancery  court  room,  where  the  above 
named  persons  had  been,  with  others,  discussing  the 
meetings.  The  whole  town  was  under  the  influence 
of  the  Spirit  and  it  seemed  all  sinners  were  deeply 
convicted  of  their  sins. 

Saloon-keepers  closed  their  places  of  business, 
and  attended  the  meetings ;  one  of  them,  a  young  man, 
came  forward  for  prayer,  many  times.  I  told  him  he 
must  give  up  his  business  or  he  could  not  be  saved ; 
this  he  finally  consented  to  do,  and  we  learned  since 
that  he  kept  his  word.    There  is  a  large  Roman  Cath- 


At  the  Station.  377 

olic  population  around  Lawrenceburg,  and  some  of 
them  attended  our  meetings,  among  the  number  was 
the  hotel-keeper,  who  more  than  once  spoke  in  our 
meetings,  and  said  the  meetings  had  done  him  much 
good,  and  when  we  spoke  of  closing  our  work,  he 
was  very  anxious  that  we  should  remain  longer. 

This  Roman  Catholic  hotel-keeper  would  have 
us  dine  with  him,  and  while  we  were  there,  told  us 
that  he  would  furnish  a  good  room  and  board  us  free 
while  we  chose  to  remain  and  give  us  ten  dollars,  if 
we  would  stay.  We  were  at  Lawrenceburg  two  weeks 
and  two  days,  and  on  Tuesday  afternoon  we  took 
train  for  Mountain  Home,  Alabama.  When  we  were 
carried  to  the  little  station  at  Lawrenceburg  we 
found  many  of  our  friends  already  there,  and  they 
continued  coming  until  the  station  was  crowded  to 
repletion,  and  the  platform  outside  was  crowded  with 
the  mass  of  people.  Soon  the  train  arrived  and  we 
said  a  hasty  farewell  to  the  little  old-fashioned 
Southern  town  and  its  hospitable  people,  that  we  had 
learned  to  love  so  well. 

The  conductor  of  the  train  sang  out,  "All 
aboard,"  the  engine  bell  sounded,  the  great  drive 
wheels  turned  slowly,  and  the  train  began  to  move 
away,  while  our  dear  friends  sang  the  **  Sweet  by  and 
by,"  and  waved  us  their  last  adjeu.  Soon  we  were 
carried  beyond  their  view,  never  to  behold  the  dear 
faces  of  all  of  them  again  in  this  life. 

Following  is  a  little  extract  from  a  letter  from 
the  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  Church  at  Lawrenceburg,  one 
year  after  we  held  our  meetings  there : 

**Your  meeting  last  summer  were  the  most  won- 
derful, as  regards  permanency  of  success,  I  have  ever 
known.  All  over  the  country  I  find  the  converts,  and 
they  are  holding  fast." 


378  MoultoUj  Alabama, 


Moulton,  Alabama. 

On  the  24th  of  August  we  coimnenced.  a  series  of 
meetings  at  Moulton,  county  seat  of  Lawrence  Co., 
Alabama. 

This  town  is  situated  in  what  is  called  the  *^  Moul- 
ton Valley,"  and  is  twelve  miles  from  any  railway 
station.  It  is  an  old  town,  the  Court  House  being  in 
the  center  of  the  town,  and  the  most  conspicuous 
building. 

All  the  business  of  the  town  consists  of  a  little 
traffic  in  supplies  for  the  surrounding  country;  the 
people  are  most  of  them  poor.  The  principal  article 
of  commerce  that  brings  them  any  money  is  a  few 
bales  of  cotton,  but  all  the  money  nearly  that  is  ob- 
tained for  this  cotton  goes  to  the  grocers  and  mer- 
chants, for  the  crops  largely  have  been  mortgaged  to 
these  business  men  for  groceries  and  clothing,  while 
the  farmers  were  raising  their  crops.  Of  course  the 
merchant  who  credits  charges  a  heavy  per  cent  on 
goods  sold.  But  often  the  scant  cotton  crop  and  the 
few  vegetables  they  can  sell  will  not  purchase  the 
sugar,  tea  and  coffee,  tobacco  and  clothing,  buy  medi- 
cine and  pay  doctor  bills;  their  cows,  horses  and 
mules  are  also  mortgaged,  sometimes  for  one-fourth 
of  their  value,  and  they  lose  all  at  the  end  of  a  few 
months,  for  there  is  no  recourse,  when  they  have  once 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  creditor.  He  often  gets 
them  for  a  very  small  part  of  their  value. 

At  Moulton  we  found  many  cultivated  people  in 
proportion  to  the  population  and  though  many  of 
them  were  poor,  having  lost  all  they  possessed  during 
the  war,  we  found  them  a  generous  and  noble-hearted 
people,  hospitable  to  a  fault ,  if  there  can  be  any  fault 
in  real  genuine  hospitality ;  we  think  there  are  many 


Culeoka,  Tennessee,  379 

places  in  the  Northern  States  where  even  Christian 
people  might  enlarge  their  hospitality. 

Brother  Duncan  was  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  Church 
South,  a  noble,  generous-hearted  man,  and  his  wife 
was  a  lovely  Christian  woman.  We  were  at  Moulton 
from  the  Sabbath  until  the  following  Monday.  Many 
were  converted  and  the  little  church  was  greatly 
strengthened.  We  are  often  asked,  '*Why  do  you  go 
to  such  small,  out  of  the  way  places,  when  you  might 
go  to  large  and  wealthy  churches  and  preach  to  the 
thousands?''  Our  only  reply  is  this,  *'God  sends  us 
sometimes  to  these  places,  and  He  knows  best ;  we  are 
His,  and  know  it  is  best  to  follow  where  He  leads." 

One  of  the  saloon-keepers  at  Moulton  who  had 
sent  his  wife  away,  sent  for  her  and  his  family  to 
come  home  and  attend  the  meetings.  He  had  de- 
clared when  he  heard  we  were  coming,  he  would  take 
his  horse  and  ride  all  over  the  neighborhood  and  tell 
the  people  not  to  attend  these  meetings.  But  he  not 
only  sent  for  his  family  to  come  home,  but  closed  his 
saloon  during  meeting  hours,  and  at  the  conclusion 
of  our  work  here,  he  sent  us  and  our  baggage  in  his 
hack,  without  charge,  to  the  railway  station,  twelve 
miles. 

Our  home  while  at  Moulton  was  at  the  village 
hotel,  managed  by  two  maiden  ladies.  May  God  ever 
bless  them  for  their  kindness  to  us,  his  children. 

Culeoka,  Tennessee. 

Culeoka  is  a  little  town  on  the  L.  &  N.  railway, 
twelve  miles  south  of  Columbia.  There  is  a  high 
school  for  boys  here,  and  the  fall  term  had  com- 
menced. 

We  were  met  at  the  depot  by  J.  G.  Bolton,  pastor 
of  the  M.  E.  Church  South,  and  taken  to  his  home, 
where  we  were  entertained  during  our  meetings. 


380  Bio  oming  dale  f  Indiana, 

The  people  in  the  village  and  country  near  by 
had  been  anxious  for  our  coming  for  some  weeks. 

So  we  had  a  good  audience  the  first  night.  Very 
few  church  members  seemed  to  know  anything  of  the 
witness  of  the  Spirit. 

Brother  Bolton  said  if  something  is  not  done  in 
this  meeting  for  some  of  my  members  and  some  of 
our  citizens,  they  never  will  be  saved.  Our  meetings 
continued  here  only  one  week,  though  they  offered  us 
sixty  dollars  to  remain  a  week  longer.  We  told  them 
we  could  not,  though  by  this  time  we  were  in  the  midst 
of  a  glorious  revival. 

So  we  closed  the  meeting  and  went  to  Western 
Yearly  meeting,  and  paid  our  own  way ;  we  felt  that 
the  Lord  called  us  there. 

Bloomingdale,  Indiana,  November,  1888. 

On  the  16th  of  November  we  came  to  Blooming- 
dale,  Park  Co.,  Indiana.  We  arrived  on  Friday 
night  at  two  o  'clock.  The  weather  was  cold ;  Esther 
was  sick  with  neuralgia,  and  in  the  morning  was  not 
able  to  leave  her  room.  I  left  her  at  the  hotel  and  at- 
tended the  QuaW;erly  meeting ;  when  I  came  back,  I 
found  Slsther  still  suffering.  In  a  little  time  some 
friends  took  us  in  their  carriage  to  Elwood  Siler's, 
and  there  we  had  a  good  warm  room,  and  by  the  fol- 
lowing morning  (Sabbath)  Esther  was  able  to  attend 
meeting  and  preach. 

We  appointed  meeting  for  night.  Friends  have 
a  fine  academy  at  Bloomingdale  that  has  been  a  po- 
tent influence  for  good  in  this  part  of  Indiana  for 
many  years. 

Barnabas  C.  Hobbs,  one  of  the  foremost  educa- 
tors of  Indiana,  and  widely  known  among  Friends, 
attended  most  of  the  meetings  and  gave  his  influence 


Western  Yearly  Meeting.  381 

and  help,  and  very  frequently  took  part  in  the  work 
by  exhortation. 

There  are  no  churches  in  Bloomingdale  except 
Friends,  and  all  public  sentiment  is  largely  molded 
by  them;  and  this  has  shut  out  from  Bloomingdale 
that  most  terrible  curse,  the  saloon— and  there  are  no 
intoxicating  drinks  sold  here  publicly.  When  our 
meetings  first  began,  there  were  a  good  many  Friends 
more  willing  to  discuss  politics  than  they  were  to 
pray  for  a  revival  of  pure  and  undefiled  religion. 

But  this  very  soon  gave  way  to  an  earnest  hun- 
gering and  thirsting  for  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  on  the  community. 

Prayers  would  frequently  be  offered  in  the  meet- 
ings that  the  backslidden  might  be  reclaimed,  and 
sinners  converted,  and  it  was  evident  that  the  Lord 
was  with  us.  Conviction  soon  seized  upon  sinners 
and  they  came  and  bowed  at  an  altar  for  prayer,  and 
many  were  converted. 

We  remained  at  Bloomingdale  a  little  more  than 
two  weeks  and  a  half,  the  interest  increasing  all  the 
time. 

The  revival  spirit  went  into  the  county,  to  sur- 
rounding towns,  and  meetings,  and  culminated  in 
gracious  revivals  in  other  churches. 

'^Western  Yearly  Meeting/* 

**  Bloomingdale,  12th  Mo.  3rd,  1888. 
**The  Lord  is  greatly  blessing  his  church  in  this 
part  of  the  land,  in  a  wonderful  outpouring  of  His 
Holy  Spirit  upon  the  people  under  the  faithful  labors 
of  Nathan  T.  and  Esther  G.  Frame.  They  came  to 
us  at  our  Quarterly  meeting  two  weeks 'ago,  believing 
fully  that  it  was  the  Lord's  leading,  and  from  day  to 
day,  and  night  to  night,  they  have  labored  for  us  un- 
ceasingly. 


382  Danville,  Indiana, 

"A  deep  conviction  rests  upon  the  hearts  of  the 
■unsaved,  and  for  miles  around  interested  crowds  flock 
to  the  place  of  meeting. 

*' Mothers  with  their  entire  household  and  their 
babes  in  their  arms,  come  meeting  after  meeting; 
the  large  meeting-house  is  full,  and  often  will  not 
contain  the  people.  Those  who  have  not  been  to 
meeting  for  months  cannot  stay  away  longer.  Thus 
far  over  sixty  have  professed  definite  blessing  in  con- 
version. Many  have  been  renewed,  and  some  have 
professed  the  blessing  of  sanctification.  Ten  were  at 
the  altar  last  night.    Pray  for  us. 

*'E.  E.  SiLER.'' 

Danville,  Indiana,  November,  1888. 

When  a  genuine  work  of  grace  occurs  in  a  com- 
munity it  cannot  be  confined  to  denominational  lines, 
though  it  is  often  hindered  by  sectarian  bigotry. 

At  some  coal  mines,  near  Bloomingdale,  a  few  of 
the  miners  attended  the  meetings,  and  they  became  so 
interested  in  the  meetings  and  talked  so  much  of 
them  to  the  miners  that  the  colliers,  who  were  a  rough 
set  of  men,  ceased  their  swearing.  One  of  their  num- 
ber remarking:  *'Mrs.  Frame  has  done  away  with 
swearing  in  the  mines." 

From  Bloomingdale  we  went  to  Danville,  Indi- 
ana, where  we  had  held  a  series  of  meetings  several 
years  before.  We  found  much  the  same  condition  of 
things,  spiritually  and  politically,  that  we  did  at 
Bloomingdale. 

Mishawauka,  Indiana,  January,  1889. 

Our  next  meeting  was  at  Mishawauka,  Indiana. 
This  meeting  was  to  be  a  union  meeting,  three  denom- 
inations joining  in  it— Methodist,  Baptist  and  Pres- 


Union  Meeting,  383 

byterian.  F.  G.  Browii,  pastor,  Methodist;  Brother 
Wright,  Presbjrterian,  and  Brother  King,  Baptist. 
They  were  all  noble  Christians,  imited  in  love  to  God, 
full  of  faith  and  good  works,  for  the  success  of  the 
meetings. 

Our  night  meetings  were  held  in  the  Methodist 
and  the  day  meetings  in  the  Presbyterian  house.  At 
night  the  meetings  were  so  large  that  often  many 
were  turned  away  for  want  of  room.  There  was  a 
very  large  Roman  Catholic  church  here,  nearly  one- 
half  of  the  population  being  Catholics.  There  was 
also  an  Episcopalian  church.  So  that  ritualism  had 
more  than  one-half  of  the  town  to  begin  with,  and  had 
spread  its  influence  to  the  other  churches. 

While  there  was  the  spirit  of  worldliness  and  sin 
that  we  have  mentioned  in  the  churches,  there  were  a 
good  number  of  earnest  Christians,  who  lived  near 
the  Lord  and  had  been  earnestly  working  and  pray- 
ing for  a  revival  among  the  people.  Our  meetings 
had  been  in  progress  about  two  weeks  when  the  seek- 
ej*s'  bench  at  night  began  to  be  thronged  with  peni- 
tents, many  were  converted ;  the  day  meetings  grew 
large  and  full  of  interest ;  backsliders  were  reclaimed, 
and  the  members  of  the  church  began  to  be  filled  with 
the  Spirit,  and  joyfully  testified  to  the  saving  grace  of 
God.  People  came  from  many  miles  in  the  country  to 
attend  the  meetings.  Our  meetings  here  continued 
for  five  weeks,  day  and  night,  and  all  the  time  in- 
creasing in  interest. 

Our  last  meeting  was  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  promptly  at  that  hour  we  found  the  house 
filled  with  our  dear  friends  from  the  different 
churches,  and  many  sinners  present. 

The  people's  hearts  were  full  of  joy  on  account 
of  the  many  souls  who  had  been  converted,  and  while 
there  was  no  sound  of  a  mighty  rushing  wind,  there 
Wits  a  real  felt  and  known  sense  of  God's  Holy  Spirit 


384 


Misliawaukee,  Indiana, 


filling  their  hearts.  We  had  a  wonderful  meeting, 
and  the  people  besought  us  with  strong  entreaties  to 
remain  longer,  but  we  bade  them  farewell,  and  com- 
mended them  and  ourselves  to  God  and  the  word  of 
his  grace,  and  in  the  afternoon  took  train  for  Chicago 
on  our  way  to  Vermillion  Grove,  Illinois.  Brother  P. 
C.  Perkins,  of  the  Baptist  Church,  rendered  very 
valuable  asistance  in  the  meetings,  as  also  his  brother 
of  the  Methodist,  and  Brother  Fisher  of  the  Presby- 
terian, with  many  others.  Brother  P.  C.  Perkins  is 
a  man  of  wealth  and  a  consecrated  servant  of  the 
Lord.  May  the  number  of  such  be  increased  a  thou- 
sand fold. 

One  of  the  great  needs  of  the  church  is  people 
who  are  really  Christians,  who  will  devote  their 
money  to  the  cause  of  Christ  and  good  of  mankind. 

We  have  too  much  cheap  Christianity,  too  many 
people  who  get  very  happy  on  a  small  amount  of  capi- 
tal. 

Here  is  a  little  notice  clipped  from  one  of  the 
town  papers : 

*'The  tidal  wave  of  religion  seems  to  spread; 
from  six,  eight,  and  ten  miles  in  the  country,  people 
come  to  hear  the  Evangelists,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame.'' 

On  the  23rd  of  March,  1889,  we  arrived  at  Ver- 
million Grove,  in  Illinois. 

Vermillion  Grove,  Illinois,  March,  1889. 

It  was  night  when  the  train  halted  at  the  little 
way  station ;  the  wind  was  blowing  strongly  from  the 
** Northwest,"  and  the  cold  chilled  us  through  and 
through,  as  we  stepped  off  the  train.  Esther  had 
been  quite  ill  at  Evanston,  and  on  that  account  we 
were  two  or  three  days  late  in  getting  to  Vermillion 
Grove,  and  our  friends  did  not  know  we  would  be 
there  that  night,  and  there  was  no  one  to  meet  us  at 


Man  With  the  Lantern,  385 

the  station.  As  Esther  was  suffering  much  with  neu- 
ralgia, we  felt  a  little  lonely  as  we  were  landed  in  the 
cold  storm  wind  on  the  little  plank  platform,  with- 
out even  light  or  shelter,  there  was  no  station  house. 
There  were  a  few  persons  on  the  platform,  who 
seemed  to  be  residents  of  the  little  town,  and  as  Es- 
ther and  myself  consulted  what  to  do,  a  gentleman— 
he  must  have  been  one,  though  he  was  not  dressed  ele- 
gantly,—came  to  us  and  said,  **Are  not  you  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Frame?"  I  replied,  "We  are."  ** Well,"  said 
he,  **I  do  not  think  any  of  the  Friends  will  be  here, 
but  it  is  not  far  to  Dr.  Mendenhall's,  and  I  will  show 
you  the  way.  Then  two  yoimg  men  who  were  stand- 
ing by  came  forward  and  kindly  offered  to  carry  our 
baggage  to  a  place  of  safety— it  had  been  left  at  the 
roadside  when  set  off  the  train.  The  gentleman,  who 
took  us  to  Dr.  Mendenhalls'  then  proposed  to  accom- 
pany us  to  the  home  that  they  had  prepared  for  us. 
We  had  to  walk;  the  ground  was  frozen  hard,  and 
very  rough;  the  gentleman  went  before  us  holding 
his  lantern  carefully  so  as  to  give  us  light  that  we 
might  not  stumble.  We  had  to  walk  three-quarters 
of  a  mile;  our  way  lay  across  pasture  lots  and 
through  the  wood.  When  we  arrived  at  our  place  of 
entertainment,  we  bade  our  friendly  escort  "good 
night."  Some  one  said  he  was  a  sinner;  perhaps  he 
was,  but  he  acted  like  a  Christian  in  that  time  of  need 
to  us.  Jesus  says,  "Whosoever  gives  a  cup  of  cold 
water  in  the  name  of  a  disciple,  shall  not  lose  a  dis- 
ciple's reward."  Esther  w^as  so  sick  that  she  could 
not  attend  the  two  or  three  first  meetings.  The  weath- 
er soon  grew  warmer,  and  Esther  was  able  to  attend 
meeting.  The  Lord  greatly  blessed  the  work,  and 
many  of  the  prominent  citizens  were  converted,  back- 
sliders were  reclaimed,  and  a  number  of  persons 
joined  the  church.    Vermillion  Grove  is  a  Friends 


386  New  Castle,  Indiana, 

meeting.  Samuel  Mills  was  the  pastor  and  had  done 
good  work  among  the  membership  and  in  the  commu- 
nity. The  man  who  accompanied  us  with  the  light 
was  wonderfully  converted  during  the  meetings.  We 
continued  our  meetings  at  Vermillion  Grove  two 
weeks. 

We  also  held  one  meeting  at  Farmers  Station, 
two  miles  from  Vermillion  Grove.  A  most  blessed 
meeting  it  was.  Our  home  while  at  Vermillion  was 
at  William  and  Martha  Hester's.  Their  love  for  us 
and  kind  care  manifested,  and  especially  to  Esther 
while  sick,  is  very  sweet  to  our  memory.  God  bless 
them. 

New  Castle,  Indiana,  March,  1889. 

We  began  meetings  at  New  Castle  March  25th. 
It  is  a  beautiful  town  of  four  or  five  thousand  people. 
Our  home  was  at  Mrs.  Dr.  MendenhalFs.  Our  meet- 
ings were  good  from  the  beginning.  The  weather  was 
propitious,  beautiful  sunshine  days  and  cloudless, 
moonlight  nights. 

The  house  would  not  accommodate  the  people 
who  came,  they  had  many  of  them  to  be  turned  away. 
I  below  copy  a  little  extract  from  a  letter  written  our 
daughter  while  we  were  here,  in  which  is  this  state- 
ment, "Last  night  two  hundred  people  were  turned 
away  from  our  meeting  for  want  of  room ;  tonight  we 
have  our  meeting  in  the  Court  House,  as  it  will  hold 
many  more  people  than  the  meeting  house." 

Esther's  health  was  so  poor  that  we  closed  our 
meetings  and  went  home  soon. 

Much  good  was  accomplished,  and  the  church 
greatly  strengthened.  This  meeting  has  a  number  of 
very  valuable  Friends  belonging  to  it. 

Brother  Isaiah  Jay  and  his  dear  Christian  wife 
and  lovely  children. 


Home,  April,  1889.  387 

Dear  Sister  Mendenliall,  at  whose  home  we  made 
ours  while  in  New  Castle,  has  since  gone  to  her  final 
rest  to  meet  her  loved  husband,  who  left  her  a  short 
time  before. 

Dr.  MendenhaU  and  his  wife  were  the  principal 
persons  in  building  and  establishing  a  Friends  meet- 
ing at  New  Gastle.  They  have  passed  away,  but  the 
meeting  will  remain  to  bless  all  coming  generations. 

Home,  April,  1889. 

We  spent  a  few  days  at  home  after  closing  our 
meetings  at  New  Castle.  What  a  place  of  rest  is 
Jiorne.  It  need  not  be  a  palace ;  it  may  only  be  a  cot- 
tage, and  that  meagerly  furnished,  but  home  is  a 
place  where  we  can  shut  ourselves  in  from  the  great 
busy  world,  and  its  cares,  and  anxieties,  where  we  can 
be  with  the  loved  ones  that  are  still  left  us,  and  com- 
mune with  each  other  without  fear ;  the  home  is  made 
sacred  and  hallowed  by  the  memories  of  the  birth- 
days of  our  children,  by  the  memories  of  the  old  home 
that  was  our  own  when  we  ourselves  were  children, 
by  all  the  sacred  things  that  have  been  prized  most 
and  loved  best  by  all  men,  both  civilized  and  savage, 
in  all  lands,  and  in  all  climes. 

When  the  sacred  historian  would  pay  the  most 
touching  tribute  to  the  departed  he  says,  "And  they 
slept  with  their  fathers." 

Those  who  have  gone  away  from  home  and  vis- 
ited foreign  lands  and  remained  for  many  years,  still 
long  for  the  time  to  come  when  they  shall  return  to 
their  native  land  and  meet  their  friends. 
*' Native  land  in  summer  smiling, 

Hill  and  valley,  grove  and  stream, 
Home,  whose  nameless  charms  beguiling, 
Peaceful  nursed  our  infant  dream." 


388  West  Manchester, 


West  Manchester,  Ohio,  April,  1889. 

"West  Manchester"  is  a  little  village  of  three  or 
four  hundred  inhabitants,  with  only  one  church  in  it, 
*'The  United  Brethren."  Brother  Arnold  was  the 
pastor.  We  had  met  him  in  1882  at ,  Springboro, 
Warren  Co.,  Ohio,  while  we  were  holding  a  series  of 
meetings  there.  * '  The  Leas  Brothers, ' '  four  of  them, 
are  the  principal  business  men  of  the  town,  and  were 
all  members  of  the  church  and  all  converted  except 
the  younger  brother. 

Spring  had  fully  opened  when  we  arrived,  and 
most  of  the  people  except  a  few  in  the  little  town  were 
engaged  at  farm  work  during  the  day  time,  and  as  a 
consequence  the  day  meetings  were  small,  but  large 
at  night.  We  felt  the  Lord  had  directed  us  to  this 
little  town,  and  that  souls  would  be  saved,  and  the 
Lord's  people  blessed  and  strengthened.  The  most 
wonderful  sermon  that  the  Saviour  ever  preached 
was  to  the  one  woman  at  the  well  of  Samaria,  and  she 
a  great  sinner. 

There  was  a  woman  converted  at  these  meetings 
over  whom  there  was  much  rejoicing. 

Wesley  Leas,  one  of  the  most  active  workers  in 
the  church,  had  a  wife  and  son,  both  mother  and  son 
were  unconverted,  the  mother  being  some  skeptical, 
and  for  a  time  she  did  not  attend  the  meetings ;  but 
the  son  attended  all  the  time  at  night,  and  finally  one 
night  when  his  mother  was  present,  the  son  came  for- 
ward for  prayers  and  was  converted,  and  conviction 
came  upon  the  mother's  heart,  and  she  bowed  her 
head  and  wept  as  she  sat  in  the  congregation,  but  re- 
fused to  seek  Christ  that  night;  but  the  next  night, 
after  much  persuasion,  she  came  forward  for  prayer, 
but  the  meeting  closed  without  her  being  saved,  and 
she  went  home  in  great  distress  of  mind,  and  went  to 


Linden,  Tennessee.  389 

her  room  and  retired,  praying  to  God  for  pardon— 
and  thus  went  to  sleep.  But  about  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning  she  was  wonderfully  blessed,  and  came  to 
meeting  next  day  and  gave  a  joyful  testimony  to  the 
saving  power  of  Divine  grace. 

These  meetings  were  a  great  blessing  to  the 
church  and  community.  As  it  has  been  in  almost 
every  instance,  the  Lord  provided  us  with  a  good 
home,  with  Brother  and  Sister  Asa  Leas,  and  here 
we  had  sweet  rest  and  the  best  of  attention,  all  of  our 
wants  amply  supplied.  Our  meetings  continued  here 
two  weeks. 

With  this  series  of  meetings  our  Gospel  work 
closed  for  a  time  and  we  returned  home  to  attend  to 
some  household  affairs.  We  had  been  almost  con- 
stantly engaged  in  series  of  meetings  for  six  months, 
holding  two  meetings  each  day,  and  sometimes  three 
on  the  Sabbath,  and  our  home  affairs  needed  atten- 
tion. 

When  we  speak  of  going  home  to  rest,  it  does 
not  signify  that  we  are  to  be  idle,  but  to  engage  in 
other  work. 

The  money  we  had  received  in  this  six  months' 
meetings,  what  there  was  left  of  it  after  paying  rail- 
way expenses  and  other  little  necessary  bills,  was 
carefully  counted  over  more  than  once,  to  see  if  there 
was  enough  of  it  to  pay  the  few  little  debts  that  had 
been  made  while  we  were  away  from  home  and  allow 
a  pittance  on  which  to  subsist. 

Linden,  Perry  Co.,  Tennessee,  May  27th,  1889. 

We  went  to  Cincinnati  May  27th,  1889,  and  there 
took  the  L.  &  N.  railway  train  for  Nashville,  Tennes- 
see, where  we  arrived  the  next  morning.  From  Nash- 
ville we  went  to  Dixon,  on  the  Chattanooga  and  St. 
Louis  railway.    Here  we  took  a  Narrow  Gauge  rail- 


390  Tennessee  Roadways. 

road  that  we  were  informed  would  take  us  within  a 
few  miles  of  Linden.  We  had  been  directed  by  letter 
to  take  this  route,  and  stop  at  the  terminus,  where  we 
would  be  met  by  the  minister  from  Linden  and  con- 
veyed the  remainder  of  the  journey. 

To  our  surprise  when  we  arrived  at  the  last  sta- 
tion we  found  we  were  still  twenty-four  miles  from 
our  desired  haven. 

We  had  been  a  little  anxious  about  conveyance, 
as  we  were  two  days  later  than  the  time  we  were  ex- 
pected, and  we  had  been  kindly  informed  that  we 
could  get  no  conveyance  at  the  last  station  to  carry  us 
and  our  baggage.  But  to  our  joy  we  found  on  our  ar- 
rival at  the  station  among  the  Tennessee  hills,  dear 
Brother  Chenault,  ready  to  receive  us.  We  had  a 
good  dinner  at  a  two-room  log  house.  Brother  Chen- 
ault had  been  there  two  days  waiting  for  us. 

He  said,  *'I  knew  you  would  come,  though  every 
one  said  to  me  you  would  not  go  to  so  small  a  place, 
away  out  among  the  hills.'' 

By  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  were  ready 
to  start  across  the  country,  over  the  hills,  and  along 
the  little  creeks  to  the  inland  town  of  Linden. 

We  had  two  buggies,  with  seating  room  for  two 
persons  in  each.  Esther  was  placed  in  one  of  them 
with  the  Negro  driver,  and  Bro.  Chenault  and  myself 
in  the  other  one,  having  our  one  trunk  strapped  on  be- 
hind the  buggy  in  which  I  rode.  There  was  a  Negro 
man  servant  on  horseback,  a  kind  of  a  ''picket 
scout. "  The  road  was  not  bad,  only  it  ran  over  a  suc- 
cession of  hills,  along  little  ravines,  where  the  road 
was  like  a  broad  plank  tilted  down  on  one  side,  while 
often  on  the  up-side  of  the  road  were  the  roots  of 
trees,  where  the  soil  had  been  washed  away,  and  the 
out  croppings  of  ledges  of  stones  here  and  there,  and 
as  the  horses  went  in  a  trot  we  would  sometimes  find 


Great  Croivds.  391 

ourselves  in  a  heap,  on  the  down  hill  side.  Esther 
found  it  rather  a  tiresome  twenty-four  mile  ride, 
though  the  country  was  beautiful  and  the  scenery  de- 
lightful. Esther  says  we  crossed  seventy  little  creeks 
in  going  from  the  railway  station  to  Linden,  or  else 
crossed  two  or  three  creeks  that  many  times,  for  she 
coimted  them  as  we  crossed  them  in  their  zig-zag 
course  among  the  hills. 

Just  about  sunset  we  came  to  ** Buffalo  River,'* 
which  we  had  to  ford,  and  the  water  was  so  deep  that 
it  ran  into  our  carriages,  but  we  got  over  in  safety, 
and  were  soon  at  our  destination,  but  Esther  was 
sick.  We  found  a  good  home  provided  for  us  with 
*' Friends"  (although  entire  strangers  to  us).  They 
were  ready  to  give  us  their  hearty  Southern  ivelcome. 

There  was  that  peculiar  sense  of  peace  that  told 
us  the  ''Son  of  Peace"  dwelt  there.  I  went  to  the 
meeting  that  night,  Esther  not  being  able  to  go  with 
me.  The  house  was  well  filled  with  an  anxious  throng 
waiting  to  see  the  Quakers,  the  man  and  woman  from 
the  "North,"  and  especially  to  see  the  woman 
preacher. 

We  had  a  good  meeting  and  I  informed  the  peo- 
ple that  Esther  would  be  well  enough  and  rested  to 
attend  the  meeting  in  the  morning,  and  so  it  proved. 

Long  before  the  hour  appointed  for  the  meetiug 
the  people  began  to  arrive  from  the  surrounding 
country,  many  of  them  came  on  horseback.  We  found 
the  house  filled  to  almost  suffocation  and  many  stand- 
ing outside,  who  could  not  even  get  standing  room 
inside,  and  at  the  night  meeting  the  same  eager,  anx- 
ious throng  were  again  early  at  the  meetinghouse, 
where  the  marvelous  story  of  the  ages  was  to  be  re- 
told, the  story  of  "Jesus  and  his  love."  It  seemed 
that  at  every  succeeding  meeting  a  multitude  of  new 
and  strange  faces  were  added  to  the  throng ;  mothers 


392  Jesse  Taylor, 

with  their  children  in  their  arms,  some  of  them  had 
come  five  or  six  miles  on  horseback,  from  country, 
and  from  villages,  and  as  the  news  spread,  the  people 
came,  until  it  seemed  that  the  interest  in  the  meet- 
ings had  absorbed  the  minds  of  the  whole  community, 
and  were  the  sole  topic  of  conversation. 

There  was  an  old  gentleman,  a  prominent  citizen, 
who  had  become  very  bitter  against  the  church,  and 
would  not  attend  the  meetings  in  the  meetinghouse, 
but  he  wanted  to  hear  the  woman  preach;  and  so  it 
was  arranged  to  have  one  meeting  in  the  Court  House 
for  his  especial  benefit.  At  this  meeting  he  was 
brought  under  conviction,  and  with  many  others 
asked  the  prayers  of  the  church ;  he  came  to  the  meet- 
ing again  at  night  at  the  meetinghouse,  and  was  a 
penitent  seeker ;  a  short  time  after  he  was  converted, 
and  gave  a  joyful  testimony  for  the  Christian's  hope. 
Some  years  before  our  meetings  he  had  been  baptized 
in  water  by  immersion  among  the  Campbellites ;  not 
only  once,  but  twice.  The  first  time  not  feeling  that 
it  did  him  any  good,  he  concluded  he  would  be  bap- 
tized again ;  and  when  asked  if  he  was  now  satisfied, 
he  remarked  that  "the  only  change  he  was  conscious 
of,  was  that  he  went  in  the  water  dry  Jesse,  and  came 
out  wet  Jesse. ' '   Jesse  Taylor  was  his  name. 

We  in  the  Northern  States  who  have  always 
been  more  or  less  accustomed  to  women  speaking  in 
the  public  meetings  are  little  prepared  to  sympathize 
with  a  people  who  for  generations  have  been  taught 
to  believe  the  Scriptures  enjoined  silence  on  all  wo-| 
men  in  the  church. 

So  when  we  published  that  we  would  have  on( 
meeting  and  give  a  scriptural  lesson  showing  thai 
women  are  authorized  to  preach  the  same  as  men  are, 
and  that  Esther  would  give  some  of  her  experience 


A  Good  Religion.  393 

and  call  to  the  ministry,  the  news   went  abroad 
through  all  that  region. 

Many  people  came  from  ten  to  fifteen  miles  to  at- 
tend the  meeting,  and  the  little  town  was  overflowing 
with  people.  We  had  a  great  meeting,  and  the  Lord 
tendered  their  hearts  and  opened  their  minds  to  mi- 
derstand  the  Scriptures  on  this  subject,  and  receive 
the  truth.  Many  w^ho  came  with  unbelief  in  their 
minds  and  darkness  in  their  hearts,  went  away  prais- 
ing the  Lord. 

I  here  quote  a  letter  from  a  prominent  lawyer, 
who  was  converted  at  our  meeting : 

''Mrs.  Frame,  I  want  you  to  pray  for  me  tonight, 
for  I  wish  I  had  your  kind  of  religion.  I  am  earn- 
estly seeking  a  religion  that  will  make  me  happy  in 
this  world,  a  religion  that  I  am  not  ashamed  of,  a  re- 
ligion that  will  make  me  love  every  one;  a  religion 
that  will  make  my  dear  wife  more  cheerful ;  a  relig- 
ion that  will  make  my  children  glad  when  they  see 
me  coming  home ;  a  religion  that  will  make  me  want 
to  see  others  saved,  and  above  all,  a  religion  that  will 
make  me  not  fear  to  die.    From  one  who  is  praying. ' ' 

We  also  received  the  following  note  from  the 
same  man : 

*'Dear  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame:  When  the  young 
gentleman  passed  through  the  congregation  yester- 
day for  contributions,  I  had  no  money  with  me. 
Please  find  enclosed  ten  dollars,  which  I  hope  you 
will  accept,  in  the  same  spirit  in  which  it  is  given. 
But  I  must  say  that  nothing  I  am  able  to  do,  or  am 
capable  of  doing,  or  giving,  can  in  the  least  express 
the  gratitude  my  wife  and  I  feel  for  you.  May  you 
both  live  long  to  continue  your  good  work.  I  am  sin- 
cerely your  friend, 

"T.  W.  SiMis." 


394  Great  Hospitality. 

Following  is  an  account  of  our  meetings  from  the 
pastor  of  the  M.  E.  Church  at  Linden : 

Linden  Circuity  Tennessee  Conference. 

**  Reverends  Nathan  T.  and  Esther  G.  Frame  of 
the  Society  of  Friends  have  just  closed  a  twelve  days' 
meeting  at  our  church  at  Linden  in  which  the  saving 
power  of  the  Gospel  was  greatly  manifested  in  a  mar- 
velous manner. 

''There  has  never  been  a  meeting  in  this  country 
in  which  the  people  were  so  much  interested  as  this 
one ;  our  house  was  packed  to  its  utmost  capacity  and 
many  nightly  were  turned  away  for  want  of  room. 

''Men  who  were  old,  young  people,  and  all  classes 
were  wonderfully  convicted  while  listening  to  the 
messages  which  were  so  faithfully  delivered,  and 
many  of  them  cried  out,  'What  must  I  do  to  be 
saved?'  Many  a  troubled  heart  foimd  peace  and 
many  souls  found  rest.  They  slaked  their  thirst  in 
the  celestial  fountain  of  purity,  and  found  from 
personal  experience  what  it  meant  for  the  spirit  of 
God  to  bear  witness  that  they  were  born  of  God.  If 
those  who  knelt  at  the  altar  and  stood  up  in  the  con- 
gregation and  asked  for  prayers  had  been  counted 
for  conversions,  there  would  have  been  hundreds. 
But  there  was  no  merely  standing  up  or  holding  up 
the  hands  to  decide  for  the  Lord,  but  men  and  women 
humbled  themselves  at  the  cross  and  cried  for  mercy 
until  they  received  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  that  they 
were  saved. 

"Many  backsliders  were  reclaimed  and  started 
with  new  energy  and  zeal  to  serve  God.  Truly  these 
were  'times  of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lord.'  Bright  happy  days  they  have  been  to  us, 
around  which  our  fondest  memories  will  ever  cling, 


Farewells.  395 

and  the  results  of  these  meetings  will  be  seen  many- 
days  hence.  There  were  more  than  one  himdred  con- 
versions and  many  joined  the  church.  Our  prayer 
to  the  Great  Head  of  the  church  is  that  the  blessings 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  may  ever  rest  upon  these  conse- 
crated servants  of  God  at  other  places  as  has  been  at 
Linden,  and  that  many  shall  rise  up  at  the  Lord's 
coming  and  call  them  blessed. 

**  J.  L.  Chenault. 

"Linden,  Tennessee,  June  18th,  1889." 

Our  meetings  closed  at  Linden  on  Friday  night 
and  on  Saturday  we  rested  and  received  calls  from 
many  of  our  friends.  They  came  to  say  their  ** fare- 
well" and  give  us  a  parting  salutation  of  love.  Dear 
sweet  friends  in  Christ,  how  we  had  learned  to  love 
them.  Then  there  was  dear  Brother  and  Sister 
Sloane,  where  we  made  our  home,  and  had  been  so 
kindly  entertained— they  had  made  our  stay  with 
them  so  pleasant. 

This  little  town  among  the  ^  ^  Tennesee  Hills ' '  will 
ever  be  remembered  by  us  for  their  hearty  welcome 
and  practical  sympathy  of  its  dear  people  while 
among  them. 

"Here  the  summer  skies  were  just  as  blue- 
Earth's  velvet  carpet  just  as  green, 
The  loving  friendship  just  as  true" 
as  any  place  we  have  found  in  all  our  pilgrimage. 

We  awoke  Sabbath  morning  to  find  the  rain 
pouring  down  in  torrents  from  the  great  dark  clouds 
that  hung  low  in  heavy  masses  above  the  little  town 
and  the  prospect  seemed  quite  a  gloomy  one,  as  we 
must  travel  by  private  conveyance  fourteen  miles 
over  the  sappy  and  slippery  muddy  hill  roads  to  the 
Temiessee  River  to  meet  a  steamer  at  midnight  that 
would  convey  us  to  Savannah,  where  we  would  hold 
out  next  series  of  meetings.    But  our  appointments 


396  By  the  Way, 

were  already  announced  and  we  must  go.  We  had 
arranged  to  have  one  meeting  on  our  way,  two  and 
one-half  miles  from  the  steamboat  landing,  at  a 
house  where  there  were  no  regular  meetings  held. 

We  had  been  invited  to  dine  at  an  "Old  Side" 
Baptist  brother's  who  had  attended  our  meetings  at 
Linden.  With  him  we  had  a  good  dinner  and  a  wel- 
come from  his  heart.  When  we  arrived  at  the  meet- 
ing-house it  was  so  crowded  with  people  that  we 
could  not  remain  in  it  with  any  degree  of  comfort. 
So  we  called  the  mass  of  people  out  under  the  shade 
of  some  great  forest  trees,  for  the  rain  storm  had  now 
passed  away  and  the  sunmier  sun  in  all  his  glory  was 
pouring  his  rays  upon  the  earth  once  more. 

We  had  a  good  meeting  and  great  liberty  in 
preaching  the  Gospel.  Our  meeting  concluded  with 
testimony  and  praise  and  a  shout  in  the  camp.  We 
shook  hands  with  the  people  and  bade  them  farewell 
and  went  on  to  the  Tennessee  River,  at  Webb's  Land- 
ing and  stopped,  by  invitation,  with  a  young  lady  and 
gentleman,  with  whom  we  took  supper,  and  there 
waited  for  the  coming  of  the  steamer  due  at  mid- 
night. There  was  only  two  houses  near  the  "Land- 
ing," the  one  we  were  in  and  another  a  little  distance 
up  the  river  bank.    Soon  darkness  closed  in  upon  us 

Tennessee  River. 

and  silence  settled  over  all.  One  by  one  the  stars 
appeared  and  dimly  twinkled  in  the  moonless,  hazy 
atmosphere.  I  walked  do\vn  the  muddy,  sloping 
river  bank  to  the  water's  edge  and  stood  beneath  the 
wide-spreading  branches  of  a  heavy  foliaged  tree, 
and  as  I  cast  my  vision  down  the  sluggish  stream  I 
could  see  by  the  dim  light  of  the  stars  the  dark 
shadows  of  the  shrubs  and  forest  trees  that  lined 


Tennessee  River.  397 

either  shore.  Away  across  the  wide  stretch  of  bot- 
tom land  from  where  I  stood,  I  could  hear  the  hoarse 
croaking  of  the  great  bacterians  holding  their  social 
among  the  cane  brakes  and  swamps.  While  I  stood 
there  amid  the  darkness  a  soft  wing  fanned  the  air, 
and  overhead  I  heard  a  snipping  noise  and  a  night 
owl  sent  his  wailing  cry  upon  the  air.  The  sluggish 
river  wound  its  way  around  the  curves  like  a  great 
serpent  just  waking  from  a  winter's  sleep.  For  a 
moment  a  sense  of  melancholy  seemed  stealing  over 
me,  but  just  then,  away  down  the  river  and  above  the 
tops  of  some  giant  forest  trees,  some  little  bright 
clouds  appeared  and  then  the  faint  reverberations  of 
the  boat's  whistle  was  heard  and  soon  the  steamer, 
with  her  gleaming  lights  rounded  the  bend  in  the 
river,  riding  the  waters  like  a  *' thing  of  life."  We 
bade  a  hasty  adieu  to  our  dear  young  friends  who 
had  so  kindly  entertained  us,  boarded  the  steamer 
and  were  soon  in  our  state  room  and  in  the  land  of 
dreams.  At  eight  o'clock  next  morning  we  landed 
at  the  little  historic  town  of  Savannah.  We  were  met 
at  the  boat's  landing  by  Brother  Cotton,  pastor  of 
the  M.  E.  Church  South  and  a  number  of  his  mem- 
bers and  escorted  to  a  home  that  had  been  prepared 
for  us.  There  is  a  heartiness  of  welcome  in  these 
Southern  people  when  they  meet  you  as  a  friend  that 
is  very  cheering.  You  feel  at  home  with  them, 
though  you  may  never  have  met  them  before  and 
they  make  you  welcome  as  an  old  acquaintance. 

Savannah,  Tennessee. 

Our  meetings  were  held  in  the  Methodist  meet- 
ing-house and  continued  from  the  15th  of  Jime  until 
the  3rd  of  July.    We  rested  on  the  Fourth. 

Savannah  is  where  General  Grant  made  his 
headquarters  for  a  time,  and  he  was  here  at  the  com- 


398  Savannah,  Tennessee, 

mencement  of  the  great  battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing. 
Our  home,  a  large  part  of  the  time  while  here,  was  at 
a  house  where  we  could  see  the  camping  ground  of 
the  great  army  where  a  hundred  thousand  Union  sol- 
diers had  pitched  their  tents,  and  our  host  narrated 
to  us  many  instances  of  outrage  and  murder  that  had 
been  committed  by  *'Bush  Whackers"  and  *' Guer- 
rillas,'' who  killed  for  plunder  or  personal  revenge. 

Our  meetings  here  were  not  large  at  first,  but 
were  composed  of  the  most  substantial  citizens  in  the 
town  and  country,  but  the  attendance  soon  increased 
until  the  house  was  nightly  filled  and  many  were  con- 
verted. The  Circuit  Judge  (Paterson),  in  a  public 
testimony,  said  that  he  thanked  God  that  a  Christian 
woman  had  led  many  of  their  people  to  a  higher  life, 
emphasizing  the  word  tvoman. 

To  imderstand  the  meaning  of  his  remark,  you 
must  know  that  in  the  churches  in  the  South  a 
woman's  voice  is  seldom  heard  in  the  church,  except 
in  song.  There  were  two  hotels  in  Savannah.  One 
day  while  at  meeting  we  received  a  note  from  one  of 
the  proprietors  and  his  wife  that  they  desired  us  to 
dine  with  them,  and  their  boarders  joined  in  the  invi- 
tation, and  that  they  wished  us  to  baptize  their  in- 
fant son. 

This  invitation  was  a  great  surprise  to  the  Chris- 
tian people,  as  neither  the  man  or  woman  were  pro- 
fessors, and  he  had  built  a  hall  in  his  hotel  especially 
for  dances  and  public  amusements.  "We  returned 
word  to  him  that  we  should  be  glad  to  accept  his  invi- 
tation to  dine  with  them,  but  said  nothing  with  re- 
gard to  baptizing  the  child,  leaving  that  part  to  be 
attended  to  when  we  should  go  to  them. 

At  the  appointed  time  we  were  there,  and  after 
dinner  assembled  in  the  room  for  guests,  many  of  the 
boarders  being  present.    The   lady   and  gentleman 


Savannah,  Tennessee,  399 

soon  came  in,  bringing  their  little  babe  with  them,  all 
handsomely  dressed,  for  us  to  baptize.  When  they 
were  seated  we  explained  to  them  that  we  did  not 
baptize,  that  we  had  no  commission  from  our  church 
to  perform  that  ceremony,  but  we  would  dedicate  the 
child  to  the  Lord  by  prayer.  So  vaih.  the  father  and 
mother  and  the  company  we  knelt  down  and  prayed 
that  the  little  child  might  be  kept  from  sin  and  that 
the  father  and  mother  might  become  Christians. 

When  all  but  the  father  and  mother  had  left  the 
room  we  explained  more  fully  to  them  that  friends 
did  not  believe  the  Scriptures  enjoined  '* Water 
Baptism"  to  be  observed  in  the  Christian  Church, 
and  they  seemed  well  satisfied  with  the  explanation 
we  gave  them,  and  we  had  the  peace  that  comes  from 
faithfulness. 

To  be  respected  by  the  world  and  by  Christian 
denominations  who  differ  with  Friends  on  the  ordi- 
nances of  water  baptism  and  Lord's  Supper,,  we  do 
not  have  to  agree  with  them,  but  only  to  be  true  to 
our  own  convictions. 

Savannah,  Tennesse,  June,  1889. 

June  22d  we  went  to  dine  with  Edmund  Cherry 
and  wife,  members  of  the  Methodist  Church  South. 
Their  residence  is  a  large  old  fashioned  two-story 
brick  house,  with  ample  porches  running  the  whole 
length  of  the  house,  both  above  and  below.  The 
house  stands  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Tennessee 
River  on  a  high  bank  and  commands  a  view  up  and 
down  the  river  for  more  than  a  mile  each  way.  At 
this  house  General  Grant  made  his  headquarters 
during  the  encampment  of  the  Union  army  at  Savan- 
nah. We  sat  at  the  same  table  and  took  our  meals 
for  a  week  where  General  Grant  and  some  of  his 
staff  were  sitting  on  that  memorable  morning  when 


400  Grant's  Headquarters. 

the  battle  of  Shiloh,  or  Pittsburg  Landing,  com- 
menced. Mrs.  Cherry  said  to  us  one  morning  while 
we  were  eating  breakfast,  "Right  there  where  you 
are  sitting  was  General  Grant 's  place  on  the  morning 
when  the  battle  of  Shiloh  began,  and  when  the  first 
crack  of  musketry  was  heard,  General  Grant,  in  a 
quiet  way,  remarked  to  those  at  the  table,  'The  ball 
has  commenced  rolling,'  and  when  some  one  asked 
him  what  he  meant,  he  said,  'The  battle  has  com- 
menced, but  I  will  finish  my  breakfast.'  " 

We  occupied  the  room  as  a  sleeping  room  where 
General  Wallace  (a  brother  of  Lou  Wallace)  and 
General  Smith  died.  They  were  taken  there 
wounded.  We  have  stood  on  the  long,  old  fashioned 
porch  that  gave  such  a  fine  view  of  the  river  and  have 
gazed  for  hours  on  the  quiet  waters  of  the  beautiful 
Tennessee  where  the  fleet  of  Federal  gunboats  were 
anchored.  What  changes  have  come  since  those 
dark  and  terrible  days  of  blood  and  carnage  when  the 
destinies  of  a  great  nation  were  hanging  on  the 
chances  and  changes  of  war. 

Now  the  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  men 
who  were  camped  here  twenty-five  years  ago  have  all 
gone  and  most  of  them  are  dead.  Where  the  great 
fleet  of  gunboats  lay  there  is  now  only  a  little  wooden 
ferry  boat  to  carry  travelers  back  and  forth  over  the 
quiet  river  to  the  fields  in  the  rich  valley. 

Savannah,  Tennesse,  June,  1889. 

The  great  generals  who  commanded  the  Union 
army  in  that  terrible  and  memorable  battle  agaiiist 
those  who  opposed  them,  have  most  of  them  fallen  by 
the  scythe  of  time,  as  fall  the  leaves  from  the  trees 
that  are  touched  by  the  frosts  from  the  clear,  cold 
heavens. 


Edmund  Cherry's  Home.  401 

**The  glory  of  men  and  nations  pass 
Out  of  the  world  like  blades  of  grass." 

No  marvel  that  the  old  Hebrew  seer  should  write 
man's  life  in  one  brief  sentence,  ^^We  all  do  fade  as 
a  leaf/' 

The  yoke  of  bondage  is  forever  broken  from  the 
Negro,  so  far  as  personal  oivnersMp  in  him  is  con- 
cerned by  the  white  man,  and  he  may  not  ever  again 
be  bought  and  sold,  as  he  was  before  the  war ;  but  in 
one  sense  he  is  in  a  state  of  vassalage  yet,  and  must 
remain  so  for  years  to  come.  The  race  war,  so  far 
as  social  equality  enters  into  it,  is  as  far  from  being 
settled  as  it  was  when  he  was  held  as  a  bondsman. 
That  the  Negro  of  the  South,  and  of  the  North,  in  the 
United  States,  may  be  emancipated  from  the  degra- 
dation and  ignorance  and  gross  superstition  that 
now  holds  the  great  mass  of  them  in  thralldom  and 
makes  them  ^^ hewers  of  wood  and  draivers  of  tvater/' 
I  do  not  doubt,  and  they  may  occupy  a  much  more 
elevated  place  than  they  do  at  present  as  a  people; 
but  this  condition  can  not  be  secured  to  them  by  any 

The  Negro, 

attempt  to  introduce  social  relations  between  the 
white  people  and  the  Negros  in  this  country.  The 
race  stamp  and  seal  is  upon  the  white  man,  and  the 
same  race  stamp  and  seal  of  God  is  upon  the  Mack 
man,  and  while  education  and  a  training  in  virtue 
and  intelligence  may  do  all  for  each  race  that  can  be 
done  we  believe  that  the  highest  good  of  each  race 
demands  that  what  is  denominated  the  social  rela- 
tions in  life,  be  kept  as  distinct,  as  God  has  made  the 
people  distinct. 

If  there  are  capacities  in  the  Negro  that  now  lie 
dormant,  all  are  desirous  that  he  may  have  a  fair  op- 
portunity with  all  other  men  to  have  these  powers 


402 


The  Negro, 


and  forces  developed  and  that  he  may  occupy  a  place 
according  to  mental  and  educational  fitness  of  which 
he  is  capable  among  his  own  race.  When  he  demon- 
strates himself  equal  with  the  now  dormant  race,  it  is 
clear  to  any  intelligent  and  fair-minded  person  that 
there  will  be  ample  room  for  the  highest  social  rela- 
tions among  his  own  race,  and  there  will  be  no  need 
to  seek  it  among  the  white  people.  God  made  the 
black  man  black  and  the  white  man  white  and  we  be- 
lieve the  happiness  of  each  race  will  be  greater  and 
the  Lord  more  glorified  by  maintaining  separate 
social  relations  as  they  are  a  separate  people.  If  the 
Negro  is  just  as  high  in  the  social  scale  naturally  as 
the  white  man,  he  can  gain  nothing  by  mingling  with 
him,  and  there  is  no  necessity  for  it ;  if  he  is  not,  then 
the  white  man  cannot  consent  to  any  social  relations 
with  him  without  degrading  himself  and  suffering  a 
loss.    Let  each  seek  the  hest  among  his  own. 

But  we  must  turn  away  from  these  meditations, 
and  also  we  must  bid  farewell  to  the  little  historic 
town  of  Savannah,  as  it  lies  basking  in  the  warm  and 
slumberous  air  on  the  shore  of  the  beautiful  Ten- 
nessee. 

The  Lord  gave  us  many  converts  here  and  we 
learned  to  love  these  warm-hearted  and  intelligent 
Southern  people  the  more  we  became   acquainted 

Clifton,  Tennessee,  July,  1889. 

with  them  the  more  we  loved  them,  and  it  seemed  like! 
leaving  heart  friends  and  home  when  we  bade  them] 
farewell  and  waved  our  last  adieu  to  them  as  we  were] 
being  carried  through  the  town  by  the  hack  that  was] 
conveying  us  to  Clifton.  Clifton  is  twenty-two  miles] 
from  Savannah  on  the  Tennessee  River  and  below  it.! 
Here  we  arrived  on  the  5th  of  July,  1889,  at  one! 
o'clock  p.  m.    We  had  come   through   the  country] 


Clifton,  Tennessee.  403 

over  the  hills,  up  and  down  among  the  ravines,  open- 
ing gates,  as  the  road  frequently  ran  through  culti- 
vated fields.  Sometimes  we  would  follow  for  a  mile 
or  more  along  or  back  and  forth  and  on  the  banks  of 
a  creek,  then  suddenly  leaving  the  crystal  stream, 
go  over  the  hills.  When  five  or  six  miles  from  Clif- 
ton we  kept  meeting  many  people,  apparently  com- 
ing home  from  the  little  town,  some  on  horseback, 
and  others  on  foot ;  many  of  these  people  had  thrown 
across  their  shoulders  or  across  the  back  of  the  thin 
bony  horse  they  were  riding,  a  common  two  bushel 
bag,  and  in  the  bag  there  seemed  to  be  some  round 
package,  and  there  were  so  many  people  carrying 
them,  and  the  packages  made  so  nearly  the  same  ap- 
pearance, that  curiosity  prompted  us  to  ask  the  hack- 
man  what  these  people  were  carrying  in  these  sacks. 
Was  it  groceries  and  provisions  for  their  families? 

To  our  surprise,  he  informed  us  that  most  of 
them  had  jugs  filled  with  whisky. 

There  is  a  law  in  the  State  of  Tennessee  that  no 
intoxicating  liquors  can  be  sold  as  a  beverage  within 
four  miles  of  an  institution  of  learning  except  in  an 
incorporated  town  or  city.  The  temperance  people 
have  taken  advantage  of  this  good  law  and  built 
school  houses  in  most  of  the  counties  so  near  each 
other  that  prohibition  of  the  liquor  traffic  has  been 
the  result.  And  even  in  many  of  the  incorporated 
towns  where  the  temperance  sentiment  was  strong 
enough  the  people  had  surrendered  their  charters  to 
exclude  the  saloons. 

But  Clifton  was  an  exception  to  this  rule  and 
was  about  the  only  town  in  this  part  of  Tennessee  in 
four  counties  where  intoxicating  liquors  could  be 
sold  as  a  beverage  in  small  quantities  to  drink.  So 
here  the  whisky  demon  had  his  headquarters,  and  as 
many  of  the  people  lived  too  far  away  from  the  little 


404  The  Whiskey  Demon. 

town,  they  bought  their  drink  by  the  gallon  and  car- 
ried it  home. 

Carried  it  home  to  the  little  cottage. 

Where  wife  and  children  dwell, 
To  destroy  the  peace  and  comfort 

And  make  the  home  a  hell. 


O !  curse  of  the  poor  and  lowly, 

O!  bane  of  the  rich  and  great, 
Turning  joy  into  wailing  sorrow, 
And  love  into  bitter  hate. 

— N.  T.  Frame. 

We  arrived  at  one  o'clock  p.  m.  and  were  met  by 
Brother  Brown,  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  Church  South, 
and  provided  with  dinner  and  a  resting  place.  Our 
first  meeting  was  held  in  the  Methodist  house.  The 
meetings  were  to  be  imion  meetings,  Presbyterians 
joining  with  the  Methodists,  and  so  we  held  the  meet- 
ings at  night  in  one  house,  and  the  day  meetings  in 
the  other  one.  The  people  received  us  kindly  and 
made  us  welcome  to  their  town.  A  number  of  them 
had  attended  some  of  our  meetings  at  Savannah,  they 
had  come  the  twenty  odd  miles,  and  some  of  the  dear 
Christian  women  were  so  much  in  earnest  to  have  us 
come  to  Clifton,  they  said  they  would  go  out  in  the 
cotton  field  and  earn  money  to  pay  our  expenses  if 
necessary  to  have  us  hold  some  meetings  with  them, 
if  for  only  a  short  time.  Though  we  anticipated 
going  home  from  Savannah,  we  felt  that  we  must 
hold  a  few  meetings  with  these  dear  Christian  women 
and  in  this  little  whisky  cursed  town.  We  found  the 
state  of  spiritual  life  very  low,  but  the  Lord  wonder- 
fully blessed  our  work  and  many  were  saved.  Our 
meetings  here  continued  nearly  two  weeks  and  then 


Down  the  Tennessee.  405 

we  closed,  though  the  meetings  were  more  largely 
attended  all  the  time. 

We  had  many  pressing  calls  from  the  towns  all 
around,  but  found  that  we  must  return  home  and 
take  some  rest. 

On  Saturday  evening,  July  20th,  we  went  aboard 
the  steamer  Allen  Duncan,  bound  for  Evansville, 
Indiana;  the  stage  planks  were  taken  in,  the  bell 
sounded  and  the  great  wheel  turned  slowly  round  and 
we  swung  off  from  the  shore  and  steamed  down  the 
river.  The  weather  was  very  warm  and  we  were 
nervous  from  much  work  and  could  not  sleep,  so  went 
up  on  the  hurricane  deck  and  talked  with  the  captain 
of  the  boat.  He  was  not  a  Christian,  but  we  found 
him  to  be  a  believer  in  God  and  also  a  believer  in  the 
power  of  prayer. 

Down  the  Tennessee, 

He  gave  a  very  interesting  incident  of  his  life 
to  us  and  a  conflict  he  had  with  strong  drink.  He 
said:  **You  know  there  was  formerly  much  drink- 
ing among  steamboat  men  on  the  Southern  and 
Western  waters,  and  that  among  many  of  the  offi- 
cers. Well,"  said  he,  ''I  had  fallen  into  this  habit 
and  found  it  was  growing  on  me  and  that  if  I  did  not 
reform  it  would  unfit  me  for  my  business  and  ruin 
me.  I  tried  to  reform,  but  found  that  by  my  oivn  will 
I  was  unable  to  succeed.  So  I  went  into  my  state- 
room, and  kneeling  down  covenanted  with  God  that  I 
would  never  again  drink  any  intoxicating  drink,  and 
asked  the  Lord  to  take  away  the  desire  for  strong 
drink,  and  from  that  hour  to  the  present  time  I  have 
not  drank  any  and  have  had  no  desire  for  it/' 

We  found  this  man  a  very  interesting  traveling 
companion.  We  retired  late  and  got  some  refresh- 
ing sleep.    Next  day  being  Sabbath,  we  kept  it  as 


406  The  Steamboat  Captain. 

best  we  could.  The  captain  of  the  boat  desired  us  to 
have  a  meeting  with  the  passengers,  but  we  did  not 
feel  it  to  be  the  mind  of  the  Spirit,  and  we  rested. 
In  the  afternoon  as  the  sun  was  going  down  and  we 
were  nearing  the  mouth  of  the  Tennessee  River,  our 
boat  running  directly  west,  and  not  a  breeze  to  rufSe 
the  mirror-like  surface  of  the  water,  the  forest  trees 
that  lined  either  bank  were  reflected  with  such  clear- 
ness that  it  made  them  appear  as  real  as  the  trees 
themselves.  Floating  in  the  sky  before  us,  in  the 
distant  horizon,  were  broken  masses  of  crimson, 
orange  and  golden  colored  clouds,  sailing  slowly 
along  like  phantom  ships;  the  wood  crowned  hills, 
the  willow  fringed  islands,  the  gaily  dressed  passen- 
gers, the  boat,  the  deck-hand  crew,  the  last  dusky 
sons  of  Ham,  all  of  them  assembled  on  the  bow  of  the 
steamer,  as  a  kind  of  an  ebony  setting,  then  the  waves 
made  by  the  steamer  gently  rolling  away  to  either 
shore,  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun  falling  upon  them, 
made  them  appear  like  burnished  gold,  or  liquid 
waves  of  fire ;  the  whole  hoat,  and  crew,  and  hill,  and 
dale,  and  shore  mirrored  in  the  depths  below,  while 
with  rapture  we  exclaimed,  O!  how  beautiful,  O! 
how  grand !  But  soon  the  colors  in  the  clouds  began 
to  fade,  the  lengthening  shadows  fell  around,  and 
Night  above  us  spread  her  sable  wings,  the  gates  of 
Day  had  closed  and  we  sat  in  darkness  on  the  hurri- 
cane deck  and  listened  to  the  dull  thud  of  the  ponder- 
ous water  wheel  and  dreamed  of  the  dear  little  home 
and  the  loved  ones  there  and  meditated  on  the  fading 
nature  of  all  earthly  things. 

Monday  morning,  July  22d  found  us  ascending 
the  Ohio  River.  We  passed  little  tumble-down 
towns  on  the  "Old  Kentucky  Shore,'*  and  while  glid- 
ing up  the  current  the  captain  came  to  us  and  said, 
**We  will  soon  be  at  'Cave  In  Rock*  and  shall  land 
there  ten  minutes  to  let  the  passengers  see  it." 


At  Home.  407 

We  thanked  him  for  his  kindness,  and  when  the 
boat  landed  stepped  ashore  to  see  this  cave,  which  is 
nothing  more  than  a  great  opening  in  the  high  rock 
bluff  that  here  comes  down  to  the  river's  brink.  It 
had  the  appearance  of  a  huge  tunnel  running  straight 
into  the  cliff  for  about  two  hundred  feet,  and  would 
easily  shelter  an  army  of  three  or  four  hundred 
men.  It  is  said  that  this  cave  was  one  of  the  hiding 
places  of  John  A.  Murrill,  the  celebrated  robber  and 
murderer. 

At  Home. 

We  arrived  at  home  Thursday  morning,  July 
25th,  having  been  away  two  months,  and  in  that  time 
held  one  hundred  and  twenty  meetings  and  traveled 
more  than  two  thousand  miles.  We  remained  at 
home  until  September  1st,  1889,  when  we  went  to 
Iowa  Yearly  Meeting  of  Friends,  to  be  held  at  Oska- 
loosa.  Arrived  there  the  third  of  September.  The 
sessions  of  the  meetings  were  exceedingly  interest- 
ing, much  home  missionary  and  revival  work  being 
reported  done  during  the  year. 

There  is  a  great  work  to  be  done  in  this  ^'North- 
west," and  the  fields  are  now  white  unto  the  har- 
vest. Christianity  is  the  foundation  stone  of  all  our 
public  institutions  that  are  worth  preserving,  and 
Christianity  is  the  power  that  must  vitalize  the  teem- 
ing population  that  by  tens  of  thousands  are  taking 
possession  of  the  vast  grain  fields,  opening  the  mines 
of  silver  and  gold,  tin  and  lead,  and  planting  manu- 
factories, building  towns  and  cities  until  they  are 
springing  into  life,  as  if  by  magic,  and  the  country, 
which  was  but  yesterday  an  uncultivated  wilderness, 
is  today  a  populous  land,  with  merchants,  artisans, 
farmers,  mechanics,  tradesmen  and  active,  energetic 
representatives  from  all  classes  of  society ;  schools 
and  colleges  are  being  planted  in  the  larger  towns 
and  cities.    A  large  proportion  of  the  population  who 


408  Church  Extension. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Iowa  Yearly  Meeting, 

are  taking  possession  of  this  vast  territory,  with  such 
immense  wealth  of  grain  fields,  and  mining  interests, 
are  our  most  energetic  and  useful  citizens  from  the 
Eastern  and  Middle  States,  young  men  and  young 
women,  and  the  church  of  the  living  God  cannot 
afford  to  stand  by  idly  looking  on  at  this  marvelous 
transformation  of  the  wilderness  into  the  cultivated 
fields.  The  church  must,  if  she  would  live,  be  equally 
energetic  in  extending  the  kingdom  of  God.  These 
people  must  have  churches  planted  among  them 
where  they  can  worship  the  God  of  their  fathers  and 
mothers. 

The  great  Protestant  denominations  of  Baptists, 
Presbyterians  and  Methodists  are  now  in  the  field, 
and  occupying  this  new  field  to  some  extent,  and 
Friends  must  do  their  part  of  the  work  or  their  can- 
dle stick  will  be  removed  out  of  its  place.  There  are 
little  bands  of  Friends,  members  of  our  own  church, 
scattered  all  over  the  ''Great  Northwest"  territory 
of  the  United  States ;  many  of  these  are  the  sons  and 
daughters  from  the  best  families  of  Friends  in  our 


*t5^ 


Church  Extension  in  Iowa  Yearly  Meeting. 

different  yearly  meetings.  These  little  bands  of  be- 
lievers long  for  meetings  to  be  organized  where  they 
can  meet  to  worship  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  in 
that  simplicity  in  which  they  have  been  taught,  and 
there  is  certainly  an  obligation  resting  upon  all  the 


Greenfield,  Indiana.  409 

j^early  meetings  of  Friends  in  America,  as  far  as 
they  are  able  to  provide  money,  and  give  all  encour- 
agement to  the  work  of  gathering  these  isolated  mem- 
bers into  meetings  which  will  form  the  nucleus 
which  may  soon  become  a  flourishing  church  and 
then  be  able  to  support  themselves  and  gather  souls 
from  the  outside  into  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

We  were  glad  to  find  Iowa  Yearly  Meeting  mov- 
ing so  energetical^  and  successfully  in  this  church 
extension  work  and  that  so  many  yoimg  men  and 
women  are  giving  their  time  and  talents  to  this  great 
and  blessed  cause.  God  bless  the  earnest  efforts  of 
Iowa  Yearly  Meeting.  We  greatly  need  a  Church  Ex- 
tension Fund,  contributed  by  any  and  all  Friends  in 
America,  and  from  all  the  yearly  meetings,  devoted 
entirely  to  church  extension  work  that  can  be  judi- 
ciously used  in  any  yearly  meeting  where  mostneeded. 
And  we  must,  if  we  succeed,  have  an  arrangement 
for  bequests  to  this  purpose  so  that  wealthy  Friends 
whose  minds  are  turned  in  this  way  may  have  an  op- 
portunity to  give  their  money  over  to  the  Lord's 
work.  We  are  now  in  a  crucial  period  of  our  his- 
tory and  must  go  forward ;  to  stand  still  is  to  die,  and 
lose  all  that  has  been  gained  in  the  last  twenty  years ; 
to  go  on  in  the  good  work  already  begun  means  sacri- 
fice ;  but  it  also  means  victory— thousands  upon  thou- 
sands of  souls  saved  and  Apostolic  and  primitive 
Christianity  revived. 

Greenfield,  Indiana,  Septem'ber,  1889. 

We  attended  Indiana  and  Western  Yearly 
Meetings  and  then  returned  to  our  own  home  in 
Jamestown  Ohio. 

On  October  17th,  1889,  we  went  to  Greenfield, 
Indiana,  to  hold  a  series  of  meetings.    There  was 


410  Meetings  in  Court  House. 

no  Friends  meeting  there.  Greenfield  is  the 
capital  of  Hancock  County,  and  contains  about  three 
thousand  inhabitants.  There  are  four  Protestant 
churches  in  it— Presbjrfcerian,  M.  E.  Church,  Pro- 
testant Methodist  and  Campbellite.  There  seemed  to 
be  a  great  dearth  spiritually. 

We  held  our  meetings  in  the  Court  House,  this 
being  the  only  available  place  except  the  Protestant 
house,  and  it  was  too  far  away  from  the  center  of 
population.  The  Court  House  was  a  very  incon- 
venient place,  but  we  made  the  best  out  of  it  we  could. 
Our  meetings  continued  here  three  weeks  and  many 
professed  conversion.  There  were  some  Friends 
living  in  Greenfield  and  at  the  close  of  our  series  of 
meetings  we  called  them  together  and  organized  them 
into  a  church  and  those  who  came  in  through  the 
meetings  who  were  not  already  members,  about 
seventy  persons  in  all.  They  were  to  meet  twice  a 
week  at  private  houses,  as  we  had  no  meeting-house ; 
except  when  some  minister  came  they  were  to  have 
meeting  at  a  hall  so  the  public  could  attend;  this 
meeting  they  anticipated  to  hold  once  every  two 
weeks. 

There  was  also  a  committee  of  general  oversight 
appointed  from  among  the  members  enrolled  who 
were  to  solicit  money  to  build  a  meeting-house  and 
appoint  from  among  their  number  a  building  com- 
mittee to  select  and  purchase  a  lot  and  when  sufficient 
money  was  secured  to  proceed  to  build  a  meeting- 
house. 

There  was  some  opposition  manifested  but  the 
meeting  was  organized  and  much  good  done  in  the 
town,  and  we  felt  the  Lord  was  with  us,  and  before 
many  years  there  will  be  a  flourishing  meeting  at 
Greenfield. 


Meeting  EstaNished,  411 


.  A  Friends  Meeting, 

We  were  entertained  a  part  of  the  time  at 
Brother  Eli  Scott's,  and  then  at  Dr.  Bruner's.  God 
bless  them  all  for  their  kindness. 

From  Greenfield  we  returned  home  and  rested  a 
little  time  and  then  went  to  Knightstown,  Indiana. 
Friends  have  a  good,  though  small  meeting-house,  in 
which  our  meetings  were  held.  When  we  arrived 
we  found  Brother  C.  C.  Barrett  at  the  train  to  meet 
us  and  take  us  to  his  home. 

Friends  meeting  here  is  largely  composed  of 
people  who  have  been  brought  from  the  outside,  but 
are  a  converted  people  and  loyal  to  the  church  and 

Knightstown,  Indiana,  Noveniber,  1889. 

we  found  this  to  be  a  most  lovely  meeting.  There  did 
not  appear  to  be  a  jar  or  dissension  in  it.  We  were 
delighted  to  see  what  unity  and  love  there  was  among 
all  the  members,  so  different  from  what  is  found  in 
many  meetings.  It  seemed  almost  that  we  were  in 
some  of  the  little  meetings  in  the  beginning  of  the 
church,  when  the  people  met  together  more  as  a 
family.  The  Lord  has  laid  his  hand  on  some  of  the 
young  women  in  this  meeting  to  preach  the  Gospel, 
and  they  consecrated  themselves  to  this  work  while 
we  were  there,  for  which  we  praise  the  Lord. 

This  meeting  constantly  reminded  us  of  what 
the  Apostle  Paul  says  to  the  Corinthians,  *'That  all 
may  prophesy  one  by  one^  In  many  of  the  meet- 
ings prayer  and  song,  testimony,  thanksgiving  and 
exhortation  were  heard.  These  vocal  testimonies 
were  in  no  sense  confined  to  the  gallery,  nor  did  any 
wait  to  be  asked  to  be  faithful ;  and  yet  there  was  no 
confusion  or  long  discourses  or  any  tendency  to  a 


412  Knight stoivn,  Indiana. 

spirit  of  ranterism;  all  was  done  to  edifying— each 
spake  as  the  "Spirit  gave  them  utterance"— all  de- 
cently and  in  order.  Christ  was  the  head  of  the 
church,  and  though  Amy  Fulghum  had  been  there  as 
pastor  four  years  there  had  been  no  tendency  to  de- 
velop a  ''one  man  power,"  but  rather  the  contrary. 
The  true  pastor  called  of  God  to  shepherd  the  flock, 
fosters  and  assists  the  gifts  in  all,  and  makes  way  for 
them  and  gives  ample  opportunity  for  their  exercise. 
May  we  have  more  such  pastors  such  as  Amy  Fulg- 
hum. We  hope  that  the  time  may  never  come  in  a 
Friends  meeting  when  any  one  minister,  however 
gifted,  shall  be  thought  so  necessarj^  to  a  meeting  that 
they  must  do  all  the  preaching. 

We  continued  with  these  dear  Friends  about  two 
weeks.  Our  home  most  of  the  time  was  with  Brother 
John  Charles  and  wife.  They  have  one  child,  a  beau- 
tiful daughter,  and  a  sweet  Christian.  Dr.  Hobbs 
and  wife,  who  have  lived  here  many  years,  were  the 
chief  persons  in  the  organization  of  the  meeting  of 
Friends  in  Knightstown.  They  are  now  old  and  ripe 
for  the  harvest,  precious  saints  of  the  Lord  who  have 
been  a  tower  of  strength  to  the  weak  and  a  father  and 
mother  in  Israel  to  those  in  the  church  who  needed 
help.    May  God  bless  them. 

With  regret  we  bade  this  charming  meeting 
farewell  and  turned  our  faces  to  other  fields  of  work. 
What  a  blessed  thought  to  the  Christian  that  we  shall 
finally  all  meet  in  the  city  of  our  God  and  live  in  the 
completeness  of  a  perfected  life  in  the  immediate 
presence  of  God  and  of  all  the  saints  and  saved  loved 
ones  forever  and  fo^^ever, 

Lebanon,  Tennessee,  April,  1890. 

We  had  been  receiving  so  many  urgent  calls  to 
come  South  again  that  in  April  we  made  an  appoint- 


Lebanon,  Tennessee,  413 

ment  at  Lebanon,  Tennessee,  with  Brother  Hanner 
of  the  M.  E.  Church  South.  Lebanon  is  a  beautiful 
town  of  about  four  thousand  inhabitants,  a  county 
seat,  and  here  is  located  the  Cumberland  Presbyter- 
ian University.  There  are  three  departments  in  the 
college— Theological  proper,  Law  Department  and 
Literary  and  Scientific.  At  the  time  we  held  our 
meetings  here  there  were  seven  hundred  students  in 
attendance  at  the  University. 

Lebanon  is  a  characterically  Southern  town, 
with  but  few  Northern  people  it  it.  The  people  are 
generally  refined,  and  educated  the  houses  good,  and 
substantial  and  built  for  comfort.  Many  of  them  are 
surrounded  by  beautiful  forest  trees  and  a  profusion 
of  blooming  shrubs,  and  flowers,  clambering  vines  and 
roses  of  many  choice  varieties. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  Lebanon  railway  sta- 
tion we  found  brother  Hanner  waiting  to  receive  us, 
and  we  were  conveyed  to  the  home  of  Judge  Tarver 
and  wife  where  we  were  most  delightfully  entertain- 
ed with  true  Southern  hospitality.  A  constant  wel- 
come filled  the  atmosphere  of  that  dear  sunny  home, 
and  many  a  delightful  hour  we  spent  with  them  in 
social  Christian  converse. 

The  cedars  of  this  modern  Lebanon,  with  their 
dark  green  foliage  met  the  gaze  in  all  directions  and 
the  air  was  filled  with  their  delightful  odor.  But 
even  here  in  this  beautiful  city  of  cedars  and  bowers 
and  warm  sunny  skies  we  had  the  same  *'old  battle'* 
to  fight  against,  Satan,  Sin  and  Prejudice.  Just  as 
we  have  had  at  many  other  places.  Some  did  not  be- 
lieve in  women  preaching.  Others  did  not  believe  in 
the  excitement  attendant  on  revivals,  and  some  said 
one  thing  and  some  another  thing,  and  a  large  ma- 
jority were  like  those  who  raised  such  a  commotion 
at  Ephesus,  tliey  knew  not  for  what  purpose  they 
had  come  together,  and  these  knew  not  of  the  things 


414  Conversion  of  Students. 

of  wliieli  they  spoke.  The  people  flocked  to  the 
meeting  house  and  nightly  the  large  audience  room 
was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity,  all  eager  to  see  and 
hear.  The  students  from  the  Theological  College 
attended  the  meetings  in  large  numbers  and  many  of 
them  came  to  the  seekers  bench  and  were  converted. 
One  young  man,  a  law  student  gave  us  his  cards  and 
when  converted  told  us  the  Lord  had  called  him  to 
preach,  but  he  had  been  trying  to  drown  his  convic- 
tions by  drinking  and  gambling.  Hundreds  of  these 
young  men  testified  for  Christ  in  our  meetings.  One 
young  man  made  the  following  testimony  in  one  of 
the  night  meetings  before  a  crowded  audience.  "I 
am  here  attending  college,  my  home  is  in  Arkansas, 
my  mother  is  a  Christian  and  she  has  been  very  anx- 
ious about  me,  and  only  a  few  days  ago  she  wrote 
that  she  was  praying  for  me.  Now  I  can  tell  her  that 
her  prayers  are  answered,  I  am  saved,  I  have  given 
myself  to  the  Lord  and  shall  go  home  when  my  educa- 
tion is  finished  to  spend  the  balance  of  my  days  in 
preaching  the  gospel."  Another  young  man  said,  *'I 
reside  when  at  home  in  California  and  shall  soon  re- 
turn home,  it  seems  that  the  Lord  sent  me  here  to  at- 
tend these  meetings  and  be  saved.  O,  I  am  so  glad 
that  I  ever  heard  you  preach  and  that  I  am  now  a 
Christian."  So  many  of  these  young  men  from  dif- 
ferent states,  Texas,  Missouri,  Illinois,  Alabama, 
Mississippi,  Tennessee  and  many  other  states  were 
converted,  and  will  go  home  to  carry  the  fire  of  God*s 
love  to  thousands  of  other  hearts  and  eternity  alone 
can  reveal  the  good  accomplished  at  these  meetings. 

The  religious  feeling  in  Lebanon  and  in  the  sur- 
rounding country  became  epidemic,  or  rather  con- 
tagious, and  people  came  from  all  the  surrounding 
country,  and  some  came  from  villages  twenty  miles 
distant. 


The  Slave  Trader,  415 


The  Negro  Trader. 

There  was  a  man  who  lived  about  three  miles 
from  Lebanon,  an  old  Negro  trader,  and  a  very 
wicked  man;  a  man  who  was  wealthy  and  on  that 
accoimt  had  much  influence  in  the  community— and 
yet  he  was  not  respected  by  the  best  people,  for  all 
knew  he  had  made  his  money  as  a  Negro  Trader. 
This  man  was  taken  sick  and  confined  to  his  room. 
One  day  Brother  Hanner  was  going  out  to  visit  him 
and  invited  us  to  accompany  him  and  enjoy  the  ride, 
but  said  he  dare  not  take  us  into  the  sick  man's  room, 
as  he  had  said  he  did  not  wish  us  to  come.  But  when 
we  got  there  we  sent  word  to  him  that  we  would  like 
to  see  him  and  he  consented  for  us  to  come  in. 

There  was  an  air  of  desolateness  and  sadness 
surrounding  the  ''Old  Slaver's  Plantation"  that  re- 
minded one  of  the  lives  in  Dantes  Inferno— "Who 
enters  here  leaves  hope  behind."  Forty  rods,  or 
more  from  the  highway  that  wound  its  serpentine 
way  around  among  the  desolate  stony  fields,  stood 
the  Negro  Trader's  house.  A  large  two-story  frame, 
lime-washed,  a  dirty  yellow,  the  house  twice  as  long 
as  wide,  and  an  old-fashioned  porch  running  all 
around  it,  except  in  the  rear,  double  porches,  one 
above  and  one  below,  the  upper  one  having  more  the 
appearance  of  a  place  of  "Lookout,"  than  for  rest 
and  comfort.  On  the  lower  porch  stretched  in  front 
of  the  main  doorway  lay  some  gaunt  and  muscular 
hounds,  with  great  savage  looking  red  mouths— a 
gentleman  told  us  there  were  as  many  as  twenty  dogs 
on  the  plantation  and  they  could  all  be  called  together 
in  a  little  time  at  the  sounding  of  a  horn. 

Tied  to  the  rail  fence  close  to  the  great  farm  gate 
were  a  half  dozen  or  more  horses,  the  owners  of 
which  had  come  to  visit  the  sick  man.    These  gentle- 


416  Says  '^I  Am  a  Devil/' 

men  bowed  to  us  as  we  came  in,  the  attending  physi- 
cian was  among  them  and  he  led  the  way  to  the  sick 
man's  room  but  gave  us  to  understand  that  we  might 
not  be  treated  in  a  civil  manner.  The  physician  said, 
*' You  will  find  him  a  rough  man,  and  in  a  sad  state." 
He  was  not  in  the  farm  house  that  we  have  described 
but  in  a  log  cabin  ten  or  fifteen  rods  away  from  it. 
It  was  an  old  cabin  of  moderate  size,  with  only  one 
room,  with  a  carpetless  puncheon  floor,  an  old-fash- 
ioned, wide-mouthed  fire  place  nearly  filled  one  end 
of  the  cabin,  and  there  was  a  little  fire  on  the  hearth ; 
smouldering  embers  and  dead  coals  were  scattered 
around  over  the  rough  stone  hearth.  The  rough  walls 
of  the  cabin  were  hung  roimd  with  farmers'  apparel 
and  hunters  and  horseman's  paraphernalia. 

As  we  entered  the  cabin  we  saw  that  the  *' Slave 
Trader"  lay  on  a  low  bedstead,  his  face  turned  to 
the  door  and  his  hungry  eyes  eagerly  scanned  us.  The 
attendant  said:  *' These  people  have  come  to  see 
you."  "Yes,  I  know,"  was  the  quick  response.  '*Sit 
down  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  but  I  am  in  no  condi- 
tion to  see  you;  I  am  sick,  but  will  be  better  soon; 
think  I  can  attend  your  meeting  on  the  coming  Sab- 
bath ;  I  want  to  hear  you  preach  once  at  least."  But 
it  was  plain  to  us  that  he  would  not  attend  the  meet- 
ing. We  asked  him  of  his  condition  before  God,  and 
he  replied,  "I  am  a  Devil ;  I  am  a  wicked  man."  Then 
Esther  said  to  him,  "But  the  Saviour  loves  you  and 
will  save  you;  he  loves  you  as  well  as  he  loves  me." 
"No,  he  don't,"  was  his  reply,  "I  am  a  Devil ;  I  am  a 
Devil."  "Well,"  I  replied,  "that  is  the  truth.  The 
Saviour  does  not  love  you  as  well  as  he  loves  Mrs. 
Frame,  for  she  is  a  Christian,  and  God  loves  those 
best  who  love  him  best,  but  he  loves  them  enough  to 
save  them  if  they  will  turn  from  their  sins,  and  be- 
lieve in  Him  now."  He  replied,  "I  am  a  De^dl,  you 
don't  know  me."    We  then  prayed  with  him,  and 


The  Woman  Preacher,  417 

though  he  had  been  tossing  restlessly  and  groaning, 
he  became  quiet  while  we  prayed,  and  he  was  now 
calm  while  we  remained,  but  still  continued  to  re- 
peat occasionally  that  he  was  wicked  and  a  "Devil." 
It  seemed  that  hideous  ghosts  of  former  years  mur- 
dered his  rest,  and  that  he  who  had  shown  no  mercy 
to  others,  could  not  believe  that  God  would  have 
mercy  on  him.  It  appeared  to  us  like  attending  the 
fimeral  of  a  lost  soul. 

The  very  atmosphere  of  the  rooms  seemed  filled 
with  sighs.  We  commended  him  to  the  just  Judge, 
the  Judge  of  all  the  earth.  With  a  new  and  deeper 
sense  of  the  awful  character  of  sin,  we  left  the  "Ne- 
gro Trader"  and  returned  to  Lebanon  to  finish  our 
work. 

The  slave  trader  soon  died,  but  without  giving 
any  evidence  that  he  had  accepted  salvation  through 
Christ. 

This  work  at  Lebanon  was  one  of  very  great  in- 
terest, and  widespread  in  its  influence  for  good. 
Hundreds  of  the  students  in  the  University  were 
reached  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit.  Following  is  an 
article  sent  to  the  Nashville  American: 

The  Revival  at  Lebanon. 

Mrs.  Esther  Frame,  the  Woman  Preacher. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  American: 

A  remarkable  revival  of  religion  has  blessed 
Lebanon  lately.  Eighty  persons  were  converted; 
scores  of  backsliders  were  reclaimed,  and  many 
church  members  dedicated  themselves  anew  to  work 
for  the  Lord.  The  power  of  the  Lord  by  the  Spirit 
and  the  word  reached  all  classes.  Among  them  were 
confirmed  drunkards,  hardened  gamblers  and  blat- 


418  The  Woman  Preacher, 

tant  skeptics— and— noble  young  men  and  women. 
A  gracious  influence  will  go  out  from  these  meetings 
that  will  extend  from  South  Carolina  to  California, 
and  from  Kentucky  to  Alabama. 

Students  from  these  States  will  go  home  Chris- 
tians converted  at  these  meetings.  The  entire  com- 
munity were  awakened  from  religious  apathy,  as  has 
not  been  for  many  years.  The  meetings  were  con- 
ducted by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  *'The  Quaker  Evan- 
gelists.'^ 

The  prejudice  here  against  women  preaching 
was  bitter  and  widespread,  but  those  who  came  to 
scoff  remained  to  applaud.  The  central  figure  in  this 
meeting  was  Mrs.  Frame.  I  do  not  say  this  as  in 
any  way  disparaging  Mr.  Frame.  He  did  as  much 
work  as  his  wife,  and  all  of  it  was  good  to  "edifica- 
tion," and  of  the  most  substantial  character,  but  the 
woman  preacher  was  a  novelty,  and  I  wish  to  offer  a 
word  about  her. 

As  to  her  personal,  she  is  a  lady  of  rather  deli- 
cate physique— about  five  feet  five  inches  high,  dark 
brown  eyes,  hair  dark  and  luxuriant.  Her  face  is 
very  lovely  and  expressive  of  all  sweetness  and  all 
sympathy.  One  glance  at  her  face  is  sufficient  to  dis- 
arm all  prejudice.  She  is  simply  a  charming  woman, 
refined  and  cultivated  and  modest.  There  is  nothing 
in  her  demeanor  that  indicates  in  the  least  that  bold- 
ness that  does  not  belong  to  and  highly  adorn  a  wo- 
man in  public.  But  she  is  courageous  as  a  lioness  in 
defense  of  Christ's  little  ones  and  in  denouncing  the 
** Devil"  with  all  his  works.  The  blood  of  Scotland's 
nobility  on  her  father's  side  and  the  no  less  noble 
blood  of  a  North  Carolina  lady  on  her  mother's  side 
flows  in  her  veins,  but  best  of  all,  her  hands  and  head 
and  heart  are  washed  in  the  blood  of  Jesus.  Em- 
phatically she  is  a  daughter  of  the  King— God's  high- 


Ministers  Endorsement,  419 

est  work— a  womanly  woman— devoted  to  the  salva- 
tion of  souls. 

As  to  her  preaching  qualities,  her  style  is  simple, 
pure  and  persuasive,  logical,  poetic  and  pathetic,  and 
permeated  through  and  through  with  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Like  the  Master,  "without  a  parable,  spake 
(she)  not  unto  them."  She  points  her  morals  and 
adorns  her  speech  with  apt  illustrations,  beautiful 
and  impressive— taken  mostly  from  her  own  experi- 
ence and  observation.  Naturally  she  is  an  accom- 
plished elocutionist  and  dramatist  and  sometimes  she 
imconsciously  acts  parts  of  her  sermon.  Her  elo- 
quence is  of  the  highest  order,  like  **a  rushing, 
mighty  wind,"  for  the  Holy  Spirit  is  in  it;  it  shakes 
the  hearers  from  center  to  circumference.  Her  con- 
victions are  a  part  and  parcel  of  herself.  "She 
speaks  that  she  knows,"  says  every  one  who  hears 
her. 

Her  love  for  Christ  superabounds  and  for  her 
fellow  mortals  it  is  all  abosorbing.  H^r  faith  is 
colossal.  Her  prayers  search  the  depths  of  want  and 
scale  the  heights  of  Divine  supply.  "She  speaks 
with  God  face  to  face  as  a  man  speaketh  to  his 
friend." 

The  secret  of  Mrs.  Frame's  success  is  not  her 
earnestness,  not  her  skill  in  conducting  meetings,  nor 
any  natural  ability,  but  she  has  "The  Baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit"  and  the  power  of  God  is  upon  her. 

Ought  women  to  preach?  Not  all  women.  All 
men  ought  not  to  preach;  but  I  am  sure  God  is  no 
respecter  of  persons.  When  he  pours  out  his  spirit 
upon  his  servants  and  his  hand-maidens  they  shall 
preach— Acts  11  and  18.  When  God  calls  a  man  or 
woman  to  preach,  woe  betide  them  if  they  do  not.  Do 
I  believe  God  calls  a  woman  to  preach  ?  ^'I  know  He 
does/'  Mrs.  Frame  is  an  incontrovertible  answer  to 
the  question.    "Only  Eternity"  can  teU  the  blessing 


420 


Alexander^  Tennessee. 


her  preaching  has  conferred  on  Lebanon.  She  came, 
she  spake,  she  captivated.  The  most  intense  preju- 
dice and  the  silliest  opposition  were  converted  into 
sweetest  love  and  noble  defense.  God  bless  this  mod- 
ern Priscilla  and  Aquila  and  speed  them  in  their 
good  work  of  teaching  the  way  of  the  Lord  more  per- 
fectly wherever  they  go.  I  hope  our  loved  Southland 
will  have  for  them  such  irresistible  charms  that  they 
will  be  constrained  to  abide  with  us. 

John  W.  Hanner^  Jr., 
Pastor  of  M.  E.  Church  South. 
Lebanon,  Tenn.,  April  24th,  1890. 

Alexander,  Tennessee,  April,  1890. 

Alexander  is  a  little  town  twelve  miles  from 
Lebanon,  and  some  of  the  people  from  Alexander 
came  to  Lebanon  to  our  meetings.  One  of  these  was 
a  leading  member  of  the  Methodist  Church  and  one 
of  the  principal  business  men  of  Alexander.  His 
name  was  E.  Reece.  At  one  of  the  morning  meetings 
in  Lebanon  he  came  to  the  seekers'  bench  and  was 
converted.  He  had  never  fully  given  himself  to  God 
before  and  now  he  found  peace  in  believing. 

This  gentleman  with  many  others  and  the  Metho- 
dist minister  at  Alexander  laid  the  matter  so  urgently 
before  us  that  we  finally  consented  to  go  and  hold 
meetings  there  a  few  days,  though  we  had  purposed 
to  go  immediately  home  at  the  close  of  our  meeting 
at  Lebanon. 

A  most  blessed  revival  influence  was  already 
among  the  people  at  Alexander;  the  influence  from 
Lebanon  had  reached  them,  so  when  we  arrived  the 
little  town  and  people  in  the  surrounding  country 
were  ready  at  the  shortest  notice  to  fill  the  meeting- 
house and  gladly  listen  to  the  preaching.  People 
thronged  the  house  and  many  were  converted.    The 


Keokuk,  Iowa.  421 

house  was  filled  both  night  and  day  and  many  ap- 
peared almost  like  people  who  are  famishing  for 
food  so  hmigry  were  they  to  hear  the  word  of  life. 
It  seemed  to  them  as  ''good  news  from  a  far  country'' 
*'and  living  water  to  the  thirsty  soul." 

While  at  Alexander  we  were  entertained  at  the 
home  of  Brother  E.  Reece.  The  family  consisted  of 
himself,  wife  and  three  children,  two  daughters  and 
a  son.  The  son  was  converted  at  our  meetings,  the 
mother  and  daughters  being  Christians.  May  Grod 
bless  this  dear  family  for  their  kindness  to  us— His 
servants. 

Brother  Reece  offered  to  deed  us  a  good  house 
and  lot  in  this  little  town  if  we  would  come  and  live 
there ;  but  the  Spirit  did  not  lead  us  to  accept  his  gen- 
erous offer. 

We  only  remained  at  Alexander  one  week,  then 
returned  to  Lebanon  and  spent  one  night  with  Judge 
Tarver  and  wife,  and  then,  on  the  24th  of  April, 
started  for  home  in  Ohio.  We  remained  at  home 
until  the  17th  of  May. 

Keokuk,  Iowa,  May,  1890. 

Our  next  appointment  was  at  Keokuk,  Iowa,  in 
the  First  M.  E.  Church.  We  went  from  Xenia,  Ohio, 
by  the  way  of  Chicago  to  Burlington,  Iowa,  and  from 
there  down  the  west  shore  of  the  great  "Father  of 
Waters,"  through  the  city  of  Ft.  Madison,  passing 
by  the  Iowa  State's  Prison,  where  we  had  held  meet- 
ings v/ith  the  prisoners  more  than  twenty  years  ago, 
and  from  which  place  we  had  taken  a  steamer  and 
gone  five  hundred  miles  up  the  Mississippi  to  Minne- 
apolis. As  we  were  whirled  along  in  the  railway 
train  our  minds  were  busy  with  the  past. 

"How  strange  it  seemed  with  so  much  gone. 
Of  love  and  life  to  still  live  on. ' ' 


422  Decoration  Day. 

Decoration  Day  occurred  while  we  were  here  and 
we  went  with  the  throng  of  people  on  that  beautiful 
day  in  May  to  visit  the  city  of  the  silent  dead.  The 
great  luminary  poured  his  flood  of  light  from  the 
azure  skies  on  the  multitudes  of  men  and  women  who 
wandered  through  the  abode  of  the  voiceless  sleepers. 
Here  a  little  group  of  persons  halted  beside  a  marble 
slab  and  in  subdued  tones  read  the  inscription  on  the 
cold  stone.  A  little  further  on  was  a  new  made  grave 
and  a  young  mother  was  there  beside  it  with  the  tears 
flowing  down  her  cheeks;  she  stooped  and  tenderly 
placed  a  wreath  of  white  roses  upon  the  mound  of 
earth.  Gray  haired  men  and  women  with  little 
** United  States  Flags'*  were  planting  them  upon  the 
tombs  of  their  soldier  dead— in  memory  of  the  loved 
ones  who  slept  beneath.  Thoughtless  young  girls 
and  boys,  dressed  in  their  holiday  attire,  were  mak- 
ing love  to  each  other,  and  we,  as  strangers,  were 
taking  another  lesson  from  life  among  the  living  and 
the  dead. 

We  wandered  on  until  we  came  to  a  monument 
erected  by  the  United  States  to  the  memory  of  the 
great  Sac  Indian  Chief.  It  stands  on  a  high  bluff 
commanding  a  fine  view  of  the  Mississippi  River  for 
some  miles  up  and  down,  while  beyond  lie  the  wooded 
hills  and  fertile  fields  of  Illinois. 

A  part  of  Keokuk's  oration  to  Black  Hawk  is 
carved  on  the  monument.  The  inscription  is  as  fol- 
lows: 

^^I  have  heard  with  sorrow  that  many  have  de- 
termined to  leave  our  villages  and  cross  the  Mis- 
sissippi merely  because  you  have  been  told  that  the 
Americans  are  coming  in  this  direction.  Would  you 
leave  our  villages  and  desert  our  home  before  an 
enemy  appears?  Would  you  leave  all,  even  the 
graves  of  our  fathers  to  the  mercy  of  an  enemy  with- 


CORRINNE  F.   McCaETHY. 


Stanley. 


From  Keokuk  to  Salem,  423 

out  trying  to  defend  them  '^  Give  me  the  warriors  and 
I  will  defend  the  villages  without  your  help." 

This  is  only  a  part  of  his  great  speech  to  Black 
Hawk,  who,  with  his  warriors,  deserted  ''The  Illinois 
Territory,"  crossed  the  river  and  were  defeated  in 
battle  near  the  present  site  of  the  city  of  Keokuk. 

But  we  must  pursue  the  meeting  narrative. 
When  we  arrived  at  Keokuk  Brother  Hall,  pastor  of 
the  First  M.  E.  Church,  met  us  at  the  train  and  took 
us  to  his  home,  where  we  remained  as  his  guests  while 
our  meetings  continued. 

Our  meetings  were  good;  many  were  converted 
and  joined  the  church.  We  met  here  a  mrniber  of  our 
old  friends  whom  we  knew  when  we  were  young  peo- 
ple, and  with  whom  we  associated  when  Iowa  was  a 
new  country ;  it  seemed  almost  that  the  wheel  of  time 
had  been  turned  backward  a  quarter  of  a  century  and 
that  if  we  could  get  on  the  train  and  go  to  Salem, 
where  we  had  spent  so  much  of  our  early  life,  we 
could  again  see  all  the  loved  ones. 

Salem,  loiva,  May,  1890. 

From  Keokuk  we  went  to  Salem,  Iowa,  where 
we  lived  when  we  first  started  out  in  our  Gospel  work. 
We  visited  the  cemetery  where  slept  our  first  born. 
We  had  not  beheld  the  little  grave  for  twenty  years. 
The  grasses  were  knitted  across  the  little  mound  and 
the  delicate  springtime  wild  flowers  bloomed  around 
the  place. 

Father  Frame  was  sleeping  peacefully  not  far 
away,  a  cluster  of  blood  red  roses  blooming  on  his 
grave.  We  stood  a  while  beside  the  little  mounds  and 
tears  of  sorrow  fell  upon  them,  and  we  said,  sleep  on 
precious  loved  ones  we  soon  shall  see  you  in  the  bet- 
ter land. 

We  held  two  meetings  in  Salem,  one  at  the  Con- 
gregational and  the  other  at  the  Friends  Church. 


424  Early  Recollections, 

Time  had  made  marvelous  changes  in  the  Friends; 
many  of  the  older  ones  had  died  and  the  former  meet- 
ing seemed  a  meeting  now  no  more  and  to  live  only 
in  name.  And  yet  while  there  were  no  long  galleries 
filled  with  elderly  men  and  women  dressed  in  drab 
and  wearing  broad  brimmed  hats  and  plain  silk  bon- 
nets, we  found  those  there  who  still  worshiped  "The 
Father  in  Spirit  and  in  Truth." 

Salem,  Iowa— Early  Recollections. 

At  Salem  Friends  meeting  is  where  Esther  had 
given  her  name  more  than  twenty  years  ago  to  be- 
come a  member  of  Friends.  We  had  continually  to 
keep  hushing  and  silencing  the  crying  away  down  in 
our  hearts  as  we  traversed  the  streets  of  the  little 
town.  Here  we  had  lived,  both  of  us,  when  we  were 
boy  and  girl.  Here  we  had  gone  to  school,  here  I  had 
been  converted,  here  we  had  been  married,  here  all 
our  children  were  born.  Here  our  first  born  was 
buried,  here  we  fought  the  battle  of  consecrating  our- 
selves to  the  life  of  evangelists.  From  here,  with 
trembling  steps,  we  started  out  into  untried  fields, 
leaving  all  the  loved  associations  behind.  And  now, 
after  twenty  years  or  more  of  toil  and  battle,  is  it  any 
marvel  that  all  the  ground  seemed  sacred. 

Dear  old  home,  and  dear  old  home  meeting,  fare- 
tvell.  How  the  shadows  of  life  lengthen  as  the  sun 
passes  beyond  the  zenith.  The  power  of  mind  and 
body  grow  more  feeble  as  we  approach  the  end. 

So  we  foimd  many  of  our  old  time  friends  who 
were  strong  and  vigorous  twenty  years  ago,  infirm 
and  old,  and  many  gone.  Here  we  have  no  continu- 
ing city,  but  we  seek  a  city  whose  builder  and  maker 
is  God.  Some  of  the  most  comforting  words  that 
were  ever  uttered  by  the  Saviour  and  left  on  record 


The  Lord  Leads.  425 

are  these,  *'Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled;  ye  believe 
in  God,  believe  also  in  Me." 

*'In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions;  if 
it  were  not  so  I  would  have  told  you, " 

^*I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you,  and  if  I  go  and 
prepare  a  place  for  you,  I  will  come  again  and  take 
you  unto  myself,  that  where  I  am  there  ye  may  be 
also." 

The  Apostle  Paul,  in  speaking  of  his  conflicts  in 
this  life  says,  "If  after  the  manner  of  men  I  have 
fought  with  beasts  at  Ephesus,  what  advantage  is 
there  in  it  if  the  dead  rise  not  %  if  in  this  life  only  we 
have  hope  in  Christ  we  are  of  all  men  most  miserable, 
let  us  eat  and  drink  for  tomorrow  we  die." 

So  with  the  comforting  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
in  our  hearts  and  minds  we  bade  adieu  once  more  to 
our  precious  loved  ones  who  yet  remained  at  Salem 
and  turned  our  faces  to  our  home  in  Ohio. 

It  seemed  we  had  finished  one  decade  in  our  life 
work  and  pilgrim  journey  and  were  starting  out 
anew  to  complete  the  mission  of  our  life.  The  Lord 
had  marvelously  led  us  thus  far  since  the  time  when 
we  had  sold  the  little  home  and  consecrated  ourselves 
to  the  Lord's  work.  We  had  seen  thousands  of  souls 
converted  to  God. 

We  had  been  led  step  by  step  from  one  place  to 
another,  from  one  experience  to  another,  we  had  been 
tempted  and  tried,  persecuted  and  praised;  very 
often  we  could  see  but  one  step  at  a  time,  and  some- 
times the  way  seemed  hedged  up  entirely;  and,  hav- 
ing done  all  we  could,  we  had  to  stand  still  for  a  little 
while  waiting  for  the  command  of  the  Master  to  go 
forward.  But  in  due  time  the  way  alwaj^s  opened 
and  we  have  found  His  Grace  to  be  sufficient. 

"Sorrow  may  endure  for  a  night, 
But  joy  Cometh  in  the  morning." 


426  Looking  Backward, 


Reviewing. 

There  have  been  marvelous  changes  in  Friends 
meetings  since  we  first  became  members  among  them. 
Singing,  vocal  prayer,  testimony,  exhortation,  read- 
ing the  Scriptures,  preaching,  revival,  or  protracted 
meetings,  the  custom  of  inviting  persons  to  rise  in 
the  public  congregations  or  come  to  a  certain  place 
for  prayer  have  now  become  very  common  in  most  of 
the  Friends  meetings  in  this  land,  whereas  they  were 
the  exception  twenty  years  ago,  and  singing  was  un* 
known  in  a  Friends  meeting. 

In  former  years  the  additions  to  Friends  from 
among  those  who  had  not  been  educated  among  us 
were  few.  Now  many  meetings  are  almost  wholly 
composed  of  people  who  have  been  converted  from 
among  the  masses  or  have  come  to  us  from  other  de- 
nominations of  Christians  by  being  convinced  that 
the  Scriptural  views  of  Friends  concerning  the  out- 
ward ordinances  of  water  baptism  and  the  Lord's 
Supper  are  correct ;  that  women  are  called  to  preach 
the  same  as  men. 

Many  new  meeting-houses  have  been  built  among 
us  in  the  last  few  years  and  the  Friends  are  now  an 
aggressive  church  in  the  proclamation  of  the  Gospel, 
more  so  than  at  any  time  in  its  history  in  America. 

The  Friends  have  always  been  in  their  work  in- 
tensely missionary,  going  everywhere,  preaching  the 
Gospel  alike  to  rich  and  poor,  and  other  denomina- 
tions of  Christians  have  received  much  of  the  fruit  of 
their  labors,  as  Friends  have  made  little  effort  to 
have  those  converted  by  them  to  become  members 
among  us.  But  this  is  rapidly  changing.  While 
there  are  more  evangelists  and  earnest  workers  than 
formerly  preaching,  the  yearly  meetings  are  caring 
for  and  husbanding  the  work  that  is  being  done  and 


At  Home,  1890.  427 

beginning  to  sustain  the  preachers  and  evangelists  by 
their  money. 

There  has  been  but  little  lapse  by  withdrawal  by 
those  who  are  not  in  harmony  with  the  new  order  in 
the  church.  The  great  body  of  Friends  have  kept 
pace  with  the  revival  and  church  extension  work, 
while  they  adhere  to  the  Scriptural  views  of  Fox  and 
and  the  early  Friends. 

As  we  search  the  records  and  become  better  ac- 
quainted with  the  work  of  the  church  in  its  earlier 
history,  we  find  that  in  this  revival  work  we  are  just 
returning  to  the  "old  paths."  One  danger  is  a  desire 
to  become  popular  and  and  thereby  be  drawn  away 
from  the  simplicity  of  our  worship. 

At  Home  June  and  July,  1890. 

During  the  months  of  June  and  July  we  re- 
mained at  home.  Esther's  health  was  much  im- 
paired, and  so  was  mine,  from  the  lingering  effects 
of  ''Lagrippe,"  and  constant  meetings  since  April, 
1889.  We  employed  ourselves  about  the  little  home 
and  put  things  in  as  good  repair  as  our  strength 
would  allow. 

We  had  received  little  financial  aid  during  the 
winter  and  spring.  In  the  beginning  of  August  we 
attended  a  camp  meeting  held  by  the  Evangelical 
Church  near  Lancaster,  Ohio.  This  meeting  con- 
tinued ten  days  and  the  Lord  greatly  blessed  the  peo- 
ple. Here  we  met  some  of  our  old  friends,  among 
others,  two  young  married  men  who  were  converted 
at  a  meeting  we  held  here  ten  years  ago.  Both  of 
them  are  now  ministers  of  the  Gospel  and  doing  very 
effective  work  in  bringing  souls  to  Christ.  One  of 
them  is  the  son  of  a  minister,  and  thus  the  blessed 
tide  rims  on,  and  will  continue  until  the  kingdoms 
of  this  world  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  God  and  of 


428  West  Point,  Tennessee. 

Christ.    God  bless  these   young  ministers,  Brother 
Lamb  and  Brother  Fife. 

West  Point,  Tennessee,  August,  1890. 

After  the  camp  meeting  just  mentioned  had 
closed,  in  a  few  days  we  went  to  Tennessee  to  hold  a 
series  of  meetings  at  a  little  town  in  Lawrence 
county.  We  went  from  Cincinnati  by  the  L.  &  N.  Rail- 
way to  Nashville,  Tennessee,  and  there  changed  on  to 
a  branch  road  to  Iron  City.  We  had  traveled  all 
night  and  it  was  now  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  day 
and  we  had  no  opportunity  for  breakfast,  and  as  our 
train  would  start  immediately  we  could  get  no  lunch 
until  we  arrived  at  Iron  City.  This,  the  conductor 
told  us,  then  added,  but  I  have  a  basket  of  lunch  and 
a  pot  of  hot  coffee  and  if  you  will  share  with  me  you 
are  welcome  to  it.  We  thanked  him  and  accepted  his 
kind  hospitality.  While  we  were  refreshing  our- 
selves he  sat  by  and  talked  on  various  topics.  In  a 
little  time  he  inquired,  **Are  you  not  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Frame?"  And  when  we  replied  we  were,  he  said, 
*'Well,  I  have  attended  your  meetings,  and  am  glad 
to  see  you!" 

This  was  a  repast  given  in  the  name  of  a  disciple 
and  shall  not  lose  its  reward. 

We  arrived  at  West  Point  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  and  were  taken  to  a  Friends  house  and 
given  a  good  dinner,  seasoned  with  genuine  hos- 
pitality by  our  host. 

The  meeting-house  was  four  miles  from  this 
village  in  the  country  and  after  dinner  we  were  car- 
ried in  a  spring  wagon  over  hill  and  dale  on  a  wind- 
ing country  road  to  our  home  near  the  meeting-house. 

From  the  commencement  of  our  meetings  the 
people  thronged  the  house  day  and  night.  The  whole 
population  near  by  came  to  the  meetings  and  many 


West  Point,  Tennessee.  429 

came  from  far ;  tlie  number  who  came  were  only  limi- 
ted by  their  ability  to  reach  the  meeting  in  time. 
Some  came  from  distant  towns  and  remained  a  whole 
week,  declaring  they  were  well  paid.  One  of  the 
most  prominent  citizens  of  the  county  and  a  member 
of  the  church,  but  a  sinner,  came  to  the  meeting  with 
his  daughter.  She  was  saved  and  became  very  anx- 
ious about  her  father,  and  at  one  of  the  day  meetings 
when  the  house  was  very  full,  and  the  windows  and 
doors  had  crowds  standing  around  them,  on  the  out- 
side, this  daughter  called  Esther  to  talk  to  her  father. 
He  was  outside  of  the  house ;  he  came  to  the  door  and 
stood  on  the  steps,  being  under  great  conviction ;  the 
daughter  wept  over  him  and  Esther  pleaded  with 
him,  and  finally  he  came  forward,  a  great  stalwart 
man,  and  when  he  knelt  down  he  said, ' '  God  be  mer- 
ciful to  me,  a  sinner."  So  great  was  his  conviction 
that  his  whole  system  was  in  agony  and  he  groaned 
out  many  times,  ^ '  O,  I  am  so  sick !    O,  I  am  so  sick ! ' ' 

We  told  him  it  was  sin  sickness  and  to  call  on 
Jesus  and  He  would  cure  him.  And  while  he  prayed 
and  the  church  prayed,  the  demons  were  cast  out,  and 
he  was  converted.  The  mighty  one  of  Jacob  had 
come  to  his  relief.  The  Lord  of  hosts  was  with  us  in 
these  meetings.  The  tongue  of  fire  carried  home  to 
the  hearts  and  consciences  of  the  hearers  the  Lord^s 
message,  and  multitudes  were  converted.  The  peo- 
ple shouted  for  joy,  and  the  miracle  of  grace  was  here 
repeated  as  it  has  been  so  many  times  before. 

Brother  McNeal  and  his  wife  were  most  delight- 
ful Christians,  and  we  shall  ever  remember  their 
cordial  welcome  and  sympathy  with  us  in  our  work 
here.  Also  Brother  and  Sister  Welsh,  where  we  made 
our  home.  It  was  real  genuine  Christian  hospitality 
without  grudging.    God  bless  these  dear  friends. 

From  West  Point  we  went  to  Iron  City  and 
held  meetings  for  one  week.    The  Lord  was  with  us 


430  Birmingham^  Alabama. 

there  and  many  were  saved.  This  work  in  the  South- 
em  States  has  to  us  been  a  most  blessed  one,  and  one 
that  has  given  us  much  comfort.  And  though  much 
of  it  was  in  small  towns  the  Lord  owned  it  and 
crowned  it  with  great  success,  and  we  know  he  led  us 
into  this  field  so  ripe  to  the  harvest. 

Birmingham,  Alabama. 

Having  finished  our  work  at  Iron  City  we  re- 
turned to  Josiah  Clawson's,  near  Mt.  Pleasant,  Ten- 
nessee, and  held  meeting  on  the  Sabbath,  and  Sep- 
tember 1st,  1890,  went  home  to  Jamestown,  Ohio. 
Were  at  Jamestown  until  October  20th  to  rest  and 
arrange  our  household  affairs.  Then  we  bade  the 
children  good-bye  and  once  more  started  for  the 
South;  this  time  to  Birmingham,  Alabama,  to  hold 
meetings  at  Brother  Tyler's  church,  the  minister  who 
visited  us  at  Lawrenceburg,  Tennessee,  two  years  be- 
fore. 

Though  this  was  our  first  visit  to  Birmingham 
the  house  was  nightly  filled,  and  at  the  end  of  the 
first  week  would  not  hold  the  masses  who  desired  to 
attend.  When  all  the  available  room  was  occupied 
the  people  crowded  the  vestibule  and  stood  outside 
close  to  the  windows  that  were  open  and  all  gave  the 
most  earnest  attention  to  all  the  gospel  messages. 

Those  who  came  through  curiosity  to  see  the 
Quakers  and  hear  the  woman,  had  their  prejudices 
removed,  lost  sight  of  the  Quakers  in  rejoicing  in 
the  salvation  that  had  come  to  Birmingham.  Sin- 
ners by  the  himdreds  were  convicted  and  multitudes 
were  converted,  **and  the  Lord  gave  us  a  most  grac- 
ious meeting. '^  Following  is  a  notice  of  these  meet- 
ings taken  from  the  Nashville  American: 


Quaker  Evangelists,  431 


*'T}ie  Quaker  Evangelists.'^ 

**For  the  past  three  weeks  there  has  been  a  most 
remarkable  gospel  meeting  in  this  city  under  the 
leadership  of  Rev.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame, '  The  Quaker 
Evangelists*  from  Ohio.  Their  names  have  been 
prominently  before  the  reading  public  for  a  long 
time,  and  for  the  past  four  or  five  years  they  have 
paid  an  annual  visit  to  the  Sunny  South  and  they 
have  been  royally  received  at  all  places  they  have 
labored. 

Since  their  arrival  here  the  meeting  house  has 
been  crowded  by  our  best  and  most  intelligent  citi- 
zens, who  have  listened  with  rapt  attention  to  the 
story  of  Jesus,  and  His  love  for  the  *Lost.' 

*'No  one  can  go  into  these  meetings  without  feel- 
ing that  God  is  there  to  bless,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame 
speak  with  power  from  God,  and  sing  with  the  Spirit 
and  the  understanding.  But  you  ask,  is  there  not  ex- 
citement in  these  meetings?  Certainly  there  is,  but 
this  excitement  is  that  which  is  produced  by  the 
clear,  logical,  eloquent  preaching  of  the  gospel  by 
God-called  and  anointed  ministers,  who  have  been 
with  Jesus  and  learned  of  him." 

From  Birmingham,  Alabama,  we  returned  to 
Ohio,  Mercer  county,  to  attend  some  new  meetings 
and  dedicate  two  new  meeting  houses.  We  landed 
from  the  train  at  the  little  station  at  Celina  Satur- 
day night  at  9  o'clock.  The  cold  November  wind 
was  blowing  from  the  north,  the  gray,  leaden  clouds 
that  hung  overhead  in  heavy  masses  gave  promise  of 
a  coming  snow  storm.  The  meeting  house  to  be  dedi- 
cated was  ten  miles  in  the  country,  and  the  mud  roads 
were  frozen.  We  were  weary  from  the  work  at  Bir- 
mingham, and  Esther  almost  nervously  prostrated 
and  sick. 


432  We  Dedicate  Churches, 

We  were  conveyed  from  the  depot  by  a  friend 
in  a  spring  wagon  the  wearisome  ten  miles  over  the 
cold,  rough  road  to  near  the  meeting  house,  arriving 
there  at  midnight. 

Our  resting  place  for  the  balance  of  the  night 
was  with  some  very  kind  friends.  The  house  where 
we  stayed  was  an  old  log  house  with  two  rooms 

Metxe7'  County,  Ohio,  1890. 

But  though  thus  situated  the  sweet  hospitality 
we  received  was  balm  to  our  tired  nerves.  Sabbath 
morning  found  us  sufficiently  rested  to  attend  meet- 
ing. Long  before  the  meeting  house  opened  the  peo- 
ple began  to  arrive,  and  when  we  went  in  we  found 
the  house  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity,  aisles  and  all, 
the  platform  banked  round  with  children.  The  dedi- 
cation meeting  was  a  most  blessed  one. 

This  meeting  had  been  gathered  and  many  of 
them  converted  through  the  labors  of  those  faithful 
Evangelists,  Allie  and  Harvey  Bergman.  They  had 
also  been  instrumental  in  building  the  new  meeting 
house,  and  had  sent  for  us  to  come  to  the  dedication 
and  hold  a  series  of  meetings. 

We  continued  our  meetings  here  one  week,  hold- 
ing two  meetings  each  day.  Many  were  converted. 
The  meeting  house  was  in  the  country,  and  there  was 
no  place  of  entertainment  nearer  than  two  miles,  and 
the  weather  was  very  cold,  and  the  exposure  was  too 
much  for  Esther,  so  we  closed  the  meetings  and  went 

Greenfield,  Indiana,  1890. 

to  Greenfield,  Hancock  County,  Indiana,  where  we 
had  held  the  meeting  in  the  court  house  in  1889. 
Friends  had  built  a  commodious  meeting  house  that 
would  seat  four  or  five  hundred  people,  and  invited 


Richmond,  Indiana,  433 

lis  to  attend  the  dedication  of  it.  "We  were  made  to 
realize  that  our  labors  had  not  been  in  vain  in  the 
Lord. 

January  21st,  1891. 

Richmond,  Indiana. 

The  year  of  1890  was  one  of  almost  ceaseless  ac- 
tivity in  religious  work.  The  little  time  between  ser- 
ies of  meetings  was  used  in  preparing  for  our  work 
abroad. 

On  January  21st,  1891,  we  began  a  series  of 
meetings  at  8th  Street  Friends  meeting  house,  Rich- 
mond, Indiana.  These  meetings  continued  about  ten 
days.  There  were  quite  a  number  of  very  beautiful 
conversions  and  fifty  persons  gave  their  names  to 
become  members  of  the  Friends  Church. 

We  made  our  home  with  Dr.  Harold  and  wife, 
members  of  the  church  and  most  earnest  Christians. 
We  had  a  most  delightful  home  and  the  best  of  care, 
by  these  dear  heart  friends,  and  our  prayers  shall 
ever  follow  them. 

Commersville,  Indiana,  February  lUh,  1891. 

From  Richmond,  Indiana,  we  went  to  Commers- 
ville, Indiana,  to  hold  a  union  meeting  for  the  Pres- 
byterians and  Methodists.  Brother  Roberts  and 
Brother  Hench  were  the  pastors.  The  meetings  were 
held  alternately  in  the  Methodist  and  Presbyterian 
houses.  We  found  these  ministers  to  be  devoted, 
Godly  men,  and  most  congenial  companions  in  the 
Lord's  work. 

The  audiences  were  large  from  the  first  and  the 
meetings  increased  in  interest  and  numbers  while  we 
remained.    Many  of  the  prominent  church  members 


434 


A  Dancer  Saved, 


were  worldly,  ''dancing,'^  ''card  playing/'  "theatre- 
going"  and  "horse  racing"  being  the  chief  pastimes 
and  amusements  that  were  sapping  the  Christian  life 
and  hindering  the  work  of  the  Lord.  So  there  was  a 
spirit  of  opposition  among  these  church  members. 
They  desired  their  pastors  to  have  these  enthusiastic 
evangelists  to  cease  speaking  against  these  popular 
amusements. 

But  these  dear  ministers  came  to  us  and  heart- 
ily commended  our  preaching  and  told  us  to  continue,  \ 
and  said  that  they  rejoiced  that  we  had  the  courage 
to  preach  all  the  gospel  and  denominate  sin,  and  that  -] 
they  would  stand  by  us. 

Soon  conviction  seized  upon  some  of  the  most 
prominent  of  these  worldly  professors  and  they  arose 
for  prayer,  confessed  and  condemned  their  sins  and 
dedicated  themselves  to  God  and  were  converted,  and 
became  earnest  and  successful  workers  in  the  revival 
and  led  many  souls  to  Christ. 

One  prominent  young  business  man  declared  he 
would  never  again  bring  reproach  on  the  Church  of 
God  by  dancing  and  card  playing.  His  wife,  a  world- 
ly, fashionable  woman,  who  was  a  leader  in  "so- 
ciety," with  others  had  arranged  for  a  great  "ball" 
to  be  given  soon,  and  she  became  much  disturbed  and 
chagrined  when  her  husband  was  converted,  but  final- 
ly concluded  she  would  not  attend  the  ball  on  account 
of  her  husband. 

Esther  was  speaking  to  this  lady  one  evening  and 
urging  her  to  dedicate  herself  to  the  Lord,  and  she  | 
replied:  "Mrs.  Frame,  I  want  you  to  understand 
that  I  am  not  remaining  away  from  the  ball  on  ac-j 
count  of  the  meetings,  but  for  the  sake  of  my  hus-| 
band." 

But  in  a  day  or  two  in  one  of  the  morning  meet- 1 
ings,  when  an  invitation  was  given  for  seekers  to 
come  forward,  she  started  from  the  rear  of  the  house 


A  Devoted  Father.  435 

and  almost  ran  to  the  place  of  prayer,  and  throwing 
herself  on  her  knees,  while  her  cheeks  were  bathed  in 
tears,  she  said,  *'God  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner," 
and  the  Lord  saved  her.  The  next  day  after  her  con- 
version she  invited  us  to  dine  with  her,  and  when  at 
her  elegant  residence  she  in^dted  Esther  to  her  room 
and  said,  *'Mrs.  Frame,  I  wish  to  speak  about  my 
father.  He  was  a  Presbyterian  elder,  and  a  holy 
man.  He  was  president  of  all  the  manufacturing 
establishments  here.  When  the  men  who  had  charge 
of  each  department  came  to  his  office  in  the  morning, 
before  going  to  work,  my  father  would  say,  *Now, 
brethren,  let  us  pray  before  we  begin  work,'  and 
then  they  would  kneel  down  and  he  would  have 
prayer  with  them.  That  is  the  way  my  father 
lived.  Now  I  am  so  glad  I  am  converted."  Oh, 
Mrs.  Frame,  I  am  so  glad  I  am  saved!''  She  did  not 
say  my  father  has  left  me*  thousands  of  dollars. 

Another  remarkable  case  was  of  a  man  who  was 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  who  was  to 
call  the  dances  at  the  coming  ball ;  he  was  converted 
and  could  not  take  his  part  there  and  his  place  could 
not  be  supplied  in  Commersville  and  they  were  com- 
pelled to  send  to  another  city  for  some  one  to  take  his 
place. 

One  of  the  bank  presidents  who  dealt  in  fine 
horses  and  put  them  on  the  race  track,  made  con- 
fession and  declared  publicly  he  would  do  it  no  more. 

The  religious  enthusiasm  swept  through  the 
community  and  affected  all  classes  so  that  the  revival 
meetings  became  the  common  topic  of  conversation. 

In  the  shops,  stores  and  factories  the  Bible  and 
New  Testament  were  read  by  many  who  had  not 
opened  the  sacred  book  for  months,  and  nightly  after 
the  sermon  scores  of  anxious  inquirers  came  to  the 
place  of  prayer,  and  ere  the  series  of  meetings  closed 


436  Connersville,  Indiana, 

hundreds  professed  saving  faith  in  Christ.  There 
were  more  than  fifty  persons  who  united  with  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty 
with  the  Methodist  Church,  and  many  with  other 
churches. 

There  were  more  than  three  hundred  professed 
conversion,  and  the  churches  were  quickened  and 
vitalized  as  they  had  not  been  in  many  years.  Fol- 
lowing is  a  little  notice  clipped  from  a  Presbyterian 
paper.  The  writer,  in  speaking  of  the  dedication  of 
their  new  house  of  worship,  makes  the  following  com- 
ment with  regard  to  the  meetings : 

*'It  is  a  pleasure  to  add  that  at  the  time  of  dedi- 
cation. Reverends  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame  had  be- 
gun a  series  of  evangelistic  services  in  which  the  seal 
of  God's  blessing  was  manifested  in  a  most  powerful 
manner.  The  Presbyterian  and  Methodist  churches 
united  in  these  meetings  and  they  were  held  week 
about  in  these  churches.  Wr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  are 
Orthodox  Quakers  and  workers  of  rare  spiritual 
power.  Their  eloquent,  searching  and  powerful 
preaching  has  reached  the  hearts  and  consciences  and 
many  have  been  led  to  Christ,  and  Christians  have 
been  revived  and  quickened. 

**The  whole  city  and  community  have  been 
moved  as  never  loeioTe.^^— Presley terian. 

We  give  two  other  incidents  showing  the  power 
of  religious  feeling  that  was  over  the  town  and 
county.  A  wealthy  and  aristocratic  woman  who  at- 
tended the  meetings  became  very  angry  and  had  de- 
termined not  to  come  any  more,  but  was  troubled; 
she  could  not  rest  satisfied.  One  morning  when 
Esther  was  on  her  way  to  the  morning  meeting  this 
woman,  with  her  coachman,  was  out  driving,  and  she 
called  to  Esther,  saying,  "Mrs.  Frame,  will  you  get 


Connersville,  Indiana,  437 

in  my  carriage  and  allow  me  to  drive  you  to  tlie  meet- 
ing?" 

When  seated  beside  the  lady,  she  said,  resuming 
the  conversation,  "Mrs.  Frame,  I  have  been  angry 
with  you  on  account  of  your  plain  preaching,  but  be- 
came so  miserable  that  I  could  not  endure  it  any 
longer.  Now  the  Lord  has  saved  me  and  I  love  you, 
and  I  have  called  you  in  that  I  might  tell  you  I  do 
love  you  now.'' 

Another  remarkable  conversion  was  of  a  gentle- 
man who  was  the  principal  of  a  very  large 
manufacturing  plant.  He  had  attended  the  meeting 
a  few  times,  but  the  Spirit  found  way  to  his  "heart 
and  on  Sabbath  morning  he  came  forward  and  con- 
secrated himself  to  the  Lord  and  was  converted, 
joined  the  Methodist  Church  and  became  one  of  the 
leading  workers. 

This  series  of  meetings  was  very  remarkable  for 
the  large  number  of  people  in  middle  life  who 
were  converted,  many  of  the  principal  men  and 
women  in  the  community,  wealthy  and  educated ;  but 
the  work  was  not  confined  to  this  class;  all  classes 
and  ages,  from  the  poorest  to  the  wealthiest,  from  the 
little  child  to  the  very  old;  it  was  evidently  a  mar- 
velous work  of  the  Lord  and  He  was  manifesting 
himself  among  the  people. 

Columbus,  Indiana,  1891. 

February  18th,  1891,  we  began  meetings  at  Co- 
lumbus, Bartholomew  County,  Indiana.  Here  is  said 
to  be  the  largest  Campbellite  church  in  the  United 
States,  and  it  was  reported  to  us  that  there  were 
twelve  hundred  members,  and  many  of  them  were 
the  prominent  and  wealthy  of  the  town. 

This  church  taught  that  people  were  regene- 
rated through  water  baptism  by  immersion.     We 


438  Columbus,  Indiana. 

taught  the  Baptism  of  Christ  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 
There  was  much  prejudice  in  this  Campbellite  church 
against  our  teaching  of  salvation  to  the  sinner,  with- 
out rite  or  ceremony,  and  many  of  them  came  to  scoff 
and  criticise.  They  also  made  much  sport  of  the  use 
of  the  "mourners'  bench,"  or  place  of  prayer.  One 
of  the  official  members  of  the  Methodist  went  to  the 
pastor  and  asked  him  to  have  us  not  to  use  a  "seek- 
ers' bench"  and  have  people  come  forward  for 
prayer;, he  said  such  a  course  would  ruin  the  meet- 
ings and  drive  people  away.  So  great  had  been  the 
feeling  against  the  use  of  the  anxious  seat  in  Colum- 
bus _that  the  Methodist  minister  who  preceded 
Brother  Dodridge,  would  not  use  it  in  his  revival 
meetings. 

Brother  Dodridge  told  his  official  member  that 
the  Lord  had  greatly  blessed  us  in  our  work  and  we 
might  use  any  means  or  method  that  we  chose,  and 
that  he  would  stand  by  us  in  the  work.  It  was  not 
long  before  this  official,  who  was  a  backslider,  came 
forward  for  prayer  and  was  renewed  and  was  one  of 
the  best  workers  in  the  meetings. 

The  Lord's  power  soon  became  manifest  among 
the  people  and  the  immense  audience  room  and  gal- 
leries were  filled  nightly  to  see  and  hear  the  Quaker 
evangelists.  The  work  began  among  the  membership 
of  the  Methodist  Church  first  and  soon  spread  to 
other  churches  until  the  backslidden  and  lukewarm 
were  reclaimed  and  vitalized.  Then  sinners  were 
smitten  and  crowded  the  altar  and  sought  pardon 
and  found  peace  in  believing.  Then  the  spirit  of  op- 
position began  to  be  manifest  among  some  of  the  pro- 
fessors who  came  to  the  meetings  and  created  dis- 
order in  the  meetings  by  talking  aloud  and  making 
sport,  and  thus  disturbing  the  orderly  people. 


Disorders.  439 

One  night  when  the  large  audience  room  and 
great  galleries  were  crowded  and  Esther  was  preach- 
ing and  the  Spirit  was  moving  mightily  upon  the 
people,  a  deacon  of  another  church  made  such  dis- 
turbance that  Brother  Dodridge  called  him  to  order 
in  the  public  meeting  and  told  him  if  this  was  not 
heeded  he  would  settle  with  him  in  the  courts. 

From  this  time  we  generally  had  better  order 
and  the  scoffers  were  quieted.  A  great  wave  of  con- 
viction was  spreading  through  the  audience,  over  the 
city  and  for  miles  out  into  the  country  and  villages. 
Often  before  the  time  for  meeting  to  begin  the  house 
would  be  filled  and  those  present  would  engage  in 
prayer,  sing  praises  unto  God,  and  frequently  some 
one  would  give  testimony  to  having  been  saved  since 
the  last  meeting,  so  mightily  grew  the  word  of  the 
Lord  among  the  people.  There  was  great  enthusi- 
asm and  joyful  emotion,  but  with  these  the  power  of 
Godly  control. 

Nightly  collections  were  taken  for  the  expenses 
of  the  meetings  and  Brother  Dodridge,  who  had  this 
matter  in  charge,  said  in  one  of  the  public  meetings 
to  a  crowded  house,  "I  desire  to  tell  my  people  a 
secret.  The  nights  when  the  largest  contributions 
have  been  received  the  most  souls  have  been  con- 
verted." One  night  there  was  a  free-will  offering  of 
one  hundred  dollars,  and  that  same  evening  there 
were  forty-six  converted.  The  Lord  blesses  when  we 
honor  Him  with  our  substance." 

At  the  conclusion  of  one  of  the  night  meetings  a 
great  strong  young  man  came  forward,  weeping,  and 
in  broken  language  and  with  sobs,  said,  "Oh,  Mr. 
Frame,  will  you  forgive  me  %  I  am  such  a  great  sin- 
ner ;  Oh,  I  have  said  such  bad  things  about  you  and 
the  meetings !    Oh,  will  you  forgive  me  ?" 


440  The  Scoffer  Saved. 

I  replied:  *'My  dear  young  man  I  do  not  know 
you,  and  have  nothing  against  you."  **But,"  said 
he,  I  have  been  so  mean.  Will  you  forgive  me"?"  I 
said,  "Let  us  kneel  down  and  we  will  ask  the  Lord  to 
save  thee,"  and  we  knelt,  and  in  a  few  moments  he 
was  saved  and  praising  the  Lord. 

O!  the  fullness  of  God's  forgiveness  when  men 
repent  of  their  sins  and  believe  on  the  only  begotten 
son.    I  here  quote  an  account  of  the  meetings  written 
for  the  Cincinnati  papers : 
(Cincinnati  Commercial  Gazette  April  17th,  1891.) 

Editor  Gazette:— For  five  weeks  past  our  beau- 
tiful little  city  has  been  the  scene  of  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  revivals  of  religion  of  modern  times,  con- 
ducted by  the  widely  known  evangelists,  Nathan  and 
Esther  Frame,  of  Jamestown,  Ohio.  The  meetings 
were  held  in  the  Methodist  Church  with  a  seating 
capacity  for  fifteen  hundred  persons. 

It  seems  almost  phenomenal  in  this  fast  age  of 
short  sermons  that  day  and  night  for  five  weeks  peo- 
ple should  crowd  the  house  to  hear  the  same  story 
with  which  they  had  been  familiar  all  their  lives  and 
that  at  each  meeting  the  interest  should  increase  and 
at  the  close  of  five  weeks  it  still  remains  at  flood- 
tide. 

During  the  five  weeks  there  were  over  five  hun- 
dred converted  and  three  hundred  joined  the 
Methodist  Church.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  are  Qua- 
kers, but  do  not  confine  themselves  to  their  own 
church,  but  work  among  all  churches. 

Their  converts  are  from  all  classes  and  of  all 
ages  and  degrees  of  learning,  and  it  seems  almost  as 
if  one  was  in  Old  Jerusalem  listening  to  the  little 
children  as  they  sang  "Hosannah!  Blessed  is  he 
that  Cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord!"  The  meet- 
ings are  conducted  in  the  most  simple  manner,  gen- 


Hundreds  Converted.  441 

erally  being  opened  by  a  hymn  from  the  Gospel 
Songs,  and  joined  in  by  all  who  choose  to  sing,  and 
then  a  vocal  prayer,  followed  by  the  sermon.  Mrs. 
Frame  usually  preaches  at  night  and  her  sermons 
are  marvels  of  beauty,  logic,  pathos  and  eloquence 
and  spiritual  power,  all  illustrated  so  happily  that 
the  message  is  carried  home  to  the  heart  and  mind 
with  a  power  never  to  be  forgotten. 

No  one  who  hears  her  pi^eacli  will  ever  ask  the 
question,  *'Can  a  woman  preach?"  The  day  meet- 
ings have  been  mostly  conducted  by  Mr.  Frame.  He 
gives  what  he  calls  Bible  lessons,  which  are  grand 
sermons,  and  old  truths  are  clothed  with  new  beauty ; 
at  times  the  audience  are  made  to  laugh;  soon  they 
are  hushed  into  silence  and  again  they  are  made  to 
weep. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  are  both  persistent  work- 
ers, and  from  the  time  the  meetings  open  until  they 
close  are  engaged  in  some  personal  work,  song  or 
exhortation.  The  number  of  meetings  held  at  Com- 
mersville  and  Columbus  were  one  hundred  and 
twenty-two. 

**C6luml)us  Revival/' 

(  Communicated. ) 

The  Columbus  revival,  conducted  by  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Frame  for  the  past  six  weeks,  was  a  marvelous 
work  of  grace— 506  conversions  and  300  accessions  to 
the  Methodist  Church  and  many  to  the  other 
churches.  Many  Methodists  and  members  of  the 
Campbellite  Church  who  had  never  known  the  love  of 
God  shed  abroad  in  their  hearts  by  the  Holy  Spirit 
were  regenerated  and  publicly  rejoiced  in  the  con- 
sciousness of  this  blessed  fact.  The  whole  town 
was  stirred  as  never  before.    It  was  in  its  results  the 


44i2  A  Thousand  Converts, 

greatest  meeting  ever  held  in  Southern  Indiana. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  will  probably  hold  services  for 
us  next  wmier.— Franklin  Methodist. 

From  Columbus  we  went  home  to  Jamestown, 
Ohio,  to  rest  a  time.  Esther  was  completely  worn 
out  and  sick.  We  had  commenced  meetings  in  No- 
vember, 1890,  and  it  was  now  March,  1891.  During 
this  time  there  had  more  than  one  thousand  souls 
been  converted  and  seven  or  eight  hundred  had 
joined  the  different  churches,  and  the  churches  where 
we  had  labored  were  greatly  blessed. 


Camp  Meeting.  443 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Deputy  Camp  Meeting,  August  20th,  1891. 

We  busied  ourselves  with  the  little  home  affairs 
until  August  19th,  1891.  We  went  to  Deputy  Camp 
Meeting  in  Southern  Indiana,  held  about  twenty 
miles  from  North  Vernon.  This  was  a  camp  meeting 
of  the  Methodists  and  was  held  in  a  magnificent 
forest  of  beech,  oak  and  other  forest  trees,  and  here 
underneath  the  shadows  of  the  grove,  *' God's  first 
temples,"  the  people  came  to  worship. 

We  had  held  a  number  of  series  of  meetings  in 
Southern  Indiana,  and  so  many  people  came  from 
quite  a  distance  to  the  camp  meeting  to  see  and  hear 
us  again,  and  by  Sabbath  there  was  an  immense 
throng  in  attendance.  Many  came  who  seldom  at- 
tended any  religious  meeting,  and  though  there  were 
showers  of  rain  frequently  the  first  Sabbath  it  did 
not  hinder  the  people  from  coming. 

They  gave  evidence  that  they  had  left  their 
homes  for  more  than  mere  recreation  and  pleasure ; 
they  had  come  to  spend  the  ten  days  in  prayer  and 
thanksgiving  and  praise  unto  God,  and  to  dedicate 
themselves  anew  to  his  service.  We  mean  the  Chris- 
tian people.  Others  no  doubt  were  actuated  by  less 
worthy  motives,  but  all  seemed  to  be  an  orderly  peo- 
ple. So  it  was  no  surprise  to  us  that  from  the  first 
the  work  of  the  Lord  began  in  earnest  and  souls  were 
converted  and  the  backslidden  reclaimed. 

We  had  charge  of  the  evangelistic  services  and 
the  Lord  gave  us  an  open  door  to  preach  the  Gospel 
to  saint  and  sinner.  The  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
fell  upon  the  assembled  multitude  and  more  than  one 
hundred  were  converted  during  the  meetings,  and 


444  Old  Fashioned  Shouts. 

many  received  the  blessing  of  perfect  love.  Follow- 
ing is  a  little  account  of  the  camp  meeting  from  the 
Western  Christian  Advocate: 

*^  Deputy  Camp  Meeting  opened  August 
20th  and  closed  August  31st.  The  first  morn- 
ing service  showed  that  it  was  going  to  be 
a  very  spiritual  camp  meeting.  The  first  Sabbath 
the  services  were  conducted  by  Nathan  and  Esther 
Frame,  Hhe  Quaker  evangelists.*  Though  the  rain 
poured  down  all  day,  God  was  on  the  camp  ground 
in  saving  power  and  souls  were  converted.  From 
this  time  on  the  meeting  increased  in  interest  and 
spiritual  life.  *  Old-fashioned  shouts'  went  up  from 
the  camp.  At  almost  every  service  souls  were  saved 
and  many  believers  obtained  the  blessing  of  perfect 
love.  The  second  Sabbath  was  a  beautiful  day.  Over 
seven  thousand  people  were  on  the  grounds.  The 
lovef east  was  wonderful  for  its  power.  Morning  and 
night  Sister  Frame  preached  to  immense  audiences. 
Her  sermons  were  marvelous.  All  through  the  meet- 
ings the  evangelists  were  assisted  by  ministers  and 
many  Christian  workers.  During  the  camp  meeting 
twenty-six  ministers  were  on  the  ground.  It  was  the 
most  spiritual  camp  meeting  in  the  history  of  Deputy 
Camp  Meeting.  The  directors  have  invited  Brother 
and  Sister  Frame  to  be  with  us  next  year."— Ac?- 
vocate. 

Home  and  Yearly  Meeting,  October,  1891. 

We  returned  to  Jamestown,  Ohio,  from  Deputy 
Camp  Meeting  imtil  September  14th,  then  went  to 
Western  Yearly  Meeting.  We  met  Amos  Sanders 
here  who  was  pastor  of  a  Friends '  Church  lately  or- 
ganized at  Noblesville.    They  had  just  erected  a 


Brownstown,  Indiana.  .  445 

meeting-house  and  Amos  desired  us  to  come  to  the 
dedication.  He  and  his  wife,  Anna  Sanders,  had 
been  instrumental  largely  in  establishing  this  meet- 
ing. 

A  short  time  after  the  close  of  Western  Yearly 
Meeting  we  attended  the  dedication  of  the  new  house 
and  promised  to  hold  a  series  of  meetings  there  in 
December. 

Our  next  meeting  was  to  be  at  Brownstown,  In- 
diana. Brother  Fletcher  was  pastor  of  the  Metho- 
dist Church ;  we  had  made  his  acquaintance  at  Dep- 
uty Camp  Meeting. 

Our  meetings  began  in  the  latter  part  of  October 
and  the  Methodist  meeting-house  being  quite  small, 
we  went  to  the  Court  House,  that  more  people  might 
be  accommodated.  All  the  churches  here  were  small 
and  in  a  cold  and  backslidden  state.  A  dividing 
spirit  was  among  the  Methodists  and  some  of  the 
principal  members  had  resigned  their  rights  of  mem- 
bership. 

Brownstown,  Indiana,  October,  1891. 

We  made  our  home  with  Brother  Fletcher  and 
his  loving  Christian  wife.  We  had  the  best  of  care 
by  these  dear  friends. 

In  the  meetings  we  declared  the  simple  messages 
that  the  Lord  gave  us  and  trusted  in  him  to  make  our 
work  accomplish  good.  We  made  no  attempt  to  ad- 
just any  differences  or  settle  any  disputes,  for  we 
knew  that  when  the  people  got  their  hearts  filled 
with  God's  love  that  all  difficulties  would  soon  vanish. 
There  had  never  been   any   Quakers   here  to  hold 


446  Meetings  in  Court  House. 

meetings,  and  a  woman  preacher  especially  was  some- 
thing new.  Then  a  meeting  in  the  Court  House  was 
entirely  free  from  churchism,  and  all  classes  felt  at 
home  from  the  commencement  of  the  meetings.  Many 
lawyers  attended,  as  this  was  the  county  town. 

As  soon  as  it  was  noised  abroad  that  there  was  a 
series  of  meetings  being  held  by  two  Quakers  at  the 
Court  House  people  came  from  all  parts  of  the 
county  and  filled  the  house  nightly  almost  to  suffo- 
cation, and  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  wrought  mightily 
among  them,  and  though  many  were  not  churchgoers 
there  was  ever  a  hush  of  awe  on  that  assembly.  The 
people  seemed  to  realize  the  presence  of  God  there. 

One  night  when  the  house  was  crowded  so  that 
every  available  space  was  filled,  at  the  close  of  Es- 
ther's sermon,  I  asked  all  who  were  not  Christians, 
but  desired  to  be,  to  rise  to  their  feet,  and  more  than 
half  of  the  audience  rose  almost  at  once,  and  there 
was  so  many  of  them,  men,  and  of  mature  age,  heads 
of  families,  I  thought  they  might  be  mistaken  in  the 
proposition  made  to  them,  so  I  repeated  it,  making  it 
much  more  emphatic. 

I  said :  '^ All  of  you  who  know  you  are  not  Chris- 
tions,  and  never  have  l)een,  but  are  resolved  to  be- 
come Christians  and  are  determined  to  forsake  all 
your  sins  and  give  your  hearts  to  Christ  the  best  you 
can,  remain  standing,  and  all  who  are  not  so  resolved, 
sit  down,''  and  to  our  astonishment  they  all  remained 
standing,  and  there  was  more  than  two  hundred  of 
them.  We  could  not  ask  them  to  come  forward  for 
prayer.  There  was  no  room,  so  we  asked  them,  as 
far  as  possible  to  kneel  down  and  pray  for  them- 
selves and  we  would  pray  for  them,  and  quite  a  large 


Close  at  Brownstown.  447 

nuniber  were  converted.     Tlie  time  of  *^  refreshing 
had  come  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.'' 

True  refreshing  always  comes  from  his  presence 
and  he  that  wrought  so  mightily  with  the  Apostles 
and  gave  them  a  wisdom  and  tongue  and  utterance 
that  all  their  adversaries  could  not  gainsay  is  with 
his  devoted  followers  now. 

Our  meetings  continued  for  three  weeks,  two 
meetings  each  day,  and  at  the  conclusion  the  mass  of 
people  who  desired  to  attend  was  so  great  that  one- 
half  of  them  could  not  be  acconunodated.  The  coim- 
try  for  many  miles  around  was  shaken  by  the  power 
of  God,  but  we  felt  that  our  work  was  finished  there 
for  the  time.  Dear  hungry,  thirsty  souls,  crying  out 
for  the  living  water,  how  their  anxious  faces  live  be- 
fore us.  Here  is  an  account  of  these  meetings  from 
the  Indianapolis  Journal: 

(Special  to  the  Indianapolis  Journal.) 

'^  Brownstown,  November  8th,  1891. 
''There  has  been  an  enthusiastic  revival  going 
on  here  for  two  weeks  past,  conducted  by  Nathan  and 
Esther  Frame.  These  Quaker  evangelists  have  come 
here  at  the  invitation  of  the  local  churches— Presby- 
terian, Methodist,  Baptist  and  Disciples,  and  a  re- 
markable interest  in  this  work  has  been  aroused. 
There  has  probably  never  been  such  a  stirring  up  in 
this  locality  as  that  which  now  manifests  itself. 

^'So  large  is  the  attendance  that  the  evening 
meetings  have  to  be  held  in  the  court  House,  as  no 
other  audience  room  will  accommodate  the  throng. 
Mrs.  Frame  gets  the  ear  of  all  as  she  preaches  in  her 


448  North  Vernon,  Indiana. 

faithful,  loving  manner  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  This 
woman  evangelist  apiDears  to  be  remarkably  endowed 
both  intellectually  and  spiritually.  She  preaches  no 
wild  vagaries,  no  nonsense,  but  a  Biblical  common- 
sense  gospel  filled  with  all  the  power  of  an  eloquent 
tongue  and  loving  heart. 


North  Vernon,  Indiana,  November,  1891. 

From  Brownstown  we  returned  home  for  a  few 
days,  and  from  there  to  North  Vernon,  Indiana.  Our 
meetings  here  were  held  in  the  M.  E.  Church. 
Brother  George  Smith,  pastor.  He  is  a  noble  young 
man  and  devoted  to  his  work,  and  a  good  preacher. 
We  were  entertained  at  his  home  and  he  and  his 
lovely  young  wife  made  us  welcome  and  the  peace  of 
God  was  there  and  after  we  came  home  from  meet- 
ings at  night  we  had  sweet  Christian  converse  to- 
gether. 

The  cold  November  night  wind  sweeps  around 
our  dwelling  and  the  leaves  all  withered  and  sear 
go  hurrying  a-past,  but  we  found  peace  and  rest  and 
warmth  within. 

Dear  precious  young  Christian  Friends,  how  we 
loved  them. 

We  did  not  remain  at  North  Vernon  more  than 
ten  days  or  two  weeks.  Lilly  Severing  was  a  young 
woman  that  we  had  met  at  Deputy  Camp  Meeting 
and  who  had  a  precious  gift  in  song,  came  and  as- 
sisted us  while  our  meetings  lasted,  and  she  did  good 
work  in  the  meetings.  She  sang  with  the  spirit  and 
with  the  understanding. 

Oh,  that  all  public  utterances  in  our  meetings 
came  from  the  promptings  of  the  holy  spirit ! 


Nohlesville,  Indiana.  449 

The  churches  here  were  much  revived  and  some 
fifty  persons  professed  conversion,  and  differences 
among  church  members  were  settled. 

NoNesville,  Indiana,  December,  1891. 

From  North  Vernon  we  went  home  and  from 
home  to  Noblesville,  Indiana,  where  we  closed  the 
campaign  of  1891.  We  made  our  home  with  Amos 
and  Anna  Sanders;  he  was  pastor  of  the  Friends 
Church.  Amos  and  Anna  are  educated  and  devoted 
Christians  and  are  people  of  refinement.  A  sense  of 
sweet  peace  pervaded  their  home  and  they  gave  us 
every  care  and  attention  that  we  needed  in  our  work 
while  there.  We  shall  ever  remember  them  with 
love.    The  Lord  will  reward  them. 

There  was  much  prejudice  among  some  of  the 
churches  against  the  Quaker  meeting  that  had  been 
organized,  especially  among  some  of  the  other 
churches.  A  pastor  of  one  of  the  leading  denomina- 
tions said  it  was  great  presumption  in  the  Quakers 
to  build  a  house  and  attempt  to  maintain  a  meeting 
in  Noblesville,  for  it  would  soon  die.  This  minister 
and  the  opposers  looked  upon  Friends  as  an  anti- 
quated and  *' old-fashioned"  people,  whose  religion 
consisted  in  wearing  broad-brimmed  hats,  drab  col- 
ored clothing,  and  the  women  having  strangely  made 
bonnets  and  using  what  they  called  the  **  plain  lan- 
guage" and  holding  *' silent  meetings." 

But  we  found  a  large  number  of  the  most  intelli- 
gent, educated  and  influential  citizens  who  had  laid  a 
good  foundation  for  a  noble  man  and  womanhood 
and  they  were  the  sons  and  daughters  who  had  been 
trained  in  *'01d  Quaker"  homes.  We  knew  these 
would  respond  to  the  simple,  earnest  preaching  of 
the  Gospel.    We  knew  that  the  children  of  faith  and 


450  Our  Quaker  Evangelists. 

prayer  who  had  been  scattered  in  the  ^^  cloudy  and 
dark"  day  would,  many  of  them,  be  gathered  to  the 
faith  of  their  fathers  and  Godly  Christian  mothers, 
and  so  it  proved.  The  spirit  of  the  Lord  came 
nightly  upon  us  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  our  faith 
took  hold  of  this  promise.  *'I  will  build  again  the 
old  waste  places  of  Jerusalem,  and  restore  the  old 
paths  and  gather  that  which  has  been  scattered." 
We  had  been  anointed  afresh  *'to  preach  the  accept- 
able year  of  the  Lord"  to  "oi^en  the  prison  doors," 
and  announce  "deliverance  to  the  captive."  By  the 
spirit  we  heard  the  Lord's  voice  saying  to  us,  "Fear 
not,  I  am  with  you."  Though  we  were  weary  in  body 
we  did  not  faint  by  the  way.  We  cannot  better  close 
the  account  of  this  year's  work  than  by  quoting  an 
account  of  our  work  published  in  our  home  paper 
when  we  returned  from  Noblesville,  entitled, 

'^Our  Quaker  Evangelists/' 

"Nathan  and  Esther  Frame  returned  Saturday 
last  from  Noblesville,  Indiana,  where  they  have  been 
holding  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  new  Friends 
Meetinghouse.  We  understand  that  more  than  one 
hundred  and  thirty  were  converted,  and  the  whole 
to^vn  and  country  around  for  several  miles  was 
stirred  as  never  before  on  the  subject  of  religion. 
For  more  than  twenty  years  past  these  devoted  Evan- 
gelists have  been  preaching  with  wonderful  effect  in 
many  of  the  churches,  in  a  score  of  the  states  East 
and  West,  and  South,  and  many  thousands  from  all 
grades  of  society  have  been  converted  under  their 
ministry.  While  they  are  members  of  the  'Friends 
Church'  they  labor  among  all  protestant  denomina- 
tions and  their  broad  and  catholic  spirit  has  won 
them  many  friends  from  all  classes  of  people,  though 


Mmiy  Calls,  451 

they  are  strictly  orthodox  in  all  their  teaching. 
Southwestern  Ohio  has  shared  largely  in  their  suc- 
cessful and  tireless  evangelistic  work,  and  there  have 
been  more  than  one  thousand  converts  in  Greene 
County  alone. 

"They  have  had  great  revivals  all  around  where 
they  now  reside  (Jamestown,  Greene  County,  Ohio) 
at  Columbus,  London,  Selma,  Cedarville,  Xenia, 
Spring  Valley,  Waynesville,  Springfield,  Dayton, 
Harveysburg,  Wilmington,  Washington  C.  H.,  Chil- 
licothe,  Lancaster,  Circleville,  and  in  a  score  of  other 
towns  and  cities  in  Ohio,  and  without  exception  so 
far  as  we  know,  most  remarkable  re\d.vals  have  al- 
ways attended  their  preaching.  People  from  all 
grades  of  society  are  reached  and  converted,  from  the 
most  cultivated  and  wealthy  to  the  poorest  and  most 
ignorant.  Their  preaching  is  the  simple  telling  of 
that  wonderful  story  of  Jesus  and  His  love. 

''Their  work  has  been  attended  with  the  same 
remarkable  success  in  other  states  as  it  has  in  Ohio. 
For  a  number  of  years  past  their  work  has  been 
away  from  their  home  here  in  Jamestown;  in  Ala- 
bama, Tennessee  and  Southern  Indiana.  Two  win- 
ters ago  at  Columbus,  Indiana,  more  than  five  hun- 
dred were  converted,  and  there  hundreds  joined  the 
Methodist  Church,  where  the  meetings  were  held, 
while  many  joined  some  of  the  other  churches.  They 
have  had  remarkable  meetings  at  Brownstown,  North 
Vernon  and  Commersville,  Indiana.  And  now  after 
more  than  twenty  years  of  incessant  revival  and 
evangelistic  work,  they  are  pursuing  with  the  same 
unflagging  and  tireless  energy  and  success  that  has 
attended  their  work  in  the  past. 

"At  the  present  time  they  have  urgent  and 
pressing  calls  from  many  churches  all  over  the  coun- 
try to  hold  revival  meetings.    These  calls  within  the 


452  Seymour,  Indiana, 

last  year  would  more  than  occupy  their  time  for  a 
whole  year.  They  have  appointments  at  Kansas 
City,  Mo.,  at  Lawrence,  Kansas,  at  Columbia,  Tennes- 
see, Emporia,  Kansas,  and  Denver,  Colorado." 

Our  next  meeting  was  a  union  of  four  churches 
at  Seymour,  Indiana.  The  meetings  began  in  the 
Baptist  house  and  continued  there  at  night  for  nearly 
two  weeks.  When  we  preached  that  men  could  be 
made  free  from  sin,  and  be  -filled  with  the  holy  spirit, 
and  live  in  that  state,  the  Baptist  minister  became 
an  open  opposer  and  said  that  people  committed  sin 
every  day— even  the  most  holy  Christians.  And  so 
bitter  did  he  become  in  his  opposition  to  our  teach- 
ing that  the  night  meetings  were  held  at  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  house.  The  day  meetings  continued 
to  be  held  alternately  at  each  of  the  other  meeting 
houses.  All  the  other  ministers.  Brother  Baird, 
Presbyterian,  Brother  Campbell,  Methodist,  and  the 
German  Methodist  gave  us  their  most  cordial  sup- 
port, and  efficient  help.  They  were  dear,  good  men, 
able  spiritual  ministers,  fine  scholars,  and  we  believe 
Divinely  called  to  preach.  These  Evangelistic  meet- 
ings of  which  we  have  been  giving  an  account,  were 
not  only  instrumental  in  bringing  sinners  to  Christ, 
and  quickening  the  church  and  sanctifying  believers, 
but  of  inducing  young  men  and  women  who  were 
Christians  to  dedicate  themselves  to  the  Lord  for  es- 
pecial lines  of  work  to  which  God  had  called  them, 
and  by  way  of  illustration  of  this  statement  we  here 
quote  from  a  Seymour  paper  with  regard  to  the 
work. 

Seymour,  Indiana,  January,  1892. 

**The  meeting  at  the  First  M.  E.  Church  last 
night  was  of  remarkable  interest.  Mrs.  Frame 
preached  another  of  her  soul-searching  sermons.  One 


Jubilee  Meeting.  453 

of  the  most  impressive  scenes  ever  witnessed  in  the 
church  history  of  this  city,  was  that  of  Miss  Carrie 
Heaton  going  forward  and  consecrating  her  life  as 
a  missionary  in  whatever  field  she  may  be  called  to 
go,  whether  at  home  or  abroad,  and  many  an  eye 
glistened  with  tears  as  Carrie,  who  has  long  been  a 
devoted  member  of  the  church,  arose  and  told  how 
the  spirit  had  been  calling  her  to  that  life  work  for 
years,  and  of  her  final  yielding  last  night.  The 
prayers  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  were  most  earnest 
and  full  of  feeling.  At  the  close  of  the  meeting 
twelve  persons  came  forward  and  united  with  the 
church." 

The  accoimt  of  this  series  of  meetings  can  well 
be  concluded  by  here  quoting  from  an  article  in  one 
of  the  leading  journals. 

*^An  Immense  Throng.'* 

*'The  Jubilee  meeting,  the  closing  service  in  the 
union  meetings  that  have  been  in  progress  here  the 
past  week  at  the  First  M.  E.  Church  last  night  was 
an  immense  gathering. 

**The  chairs  from  the  lecture  room  were  all  car- 
ried upstairs  and  every  place  large  enough  to  seat  a 
person  was  occupied,  it  being  the  desire,  if  possible, 
that  the  people  might  have  the  benefit  of  Mrs. 
Frame's  grand  sermon.  The  ushers  say  it  was  the 
largest  congregation  ever  seated  in  the  church.  Mrs. 
Frame  could  not  complain  that  the  people  were  not 
near  enough,  for  they  were  all  about  her,  on  the  ros- 
trum, inside  the  altar  railing,  everywhere  there  was 
room  to  squeeze  in,  in  fact  the  Evangelists  themselves 
had  a  hard  time  to  get  through  the  throng. 

**Mrs.  Frame  preached  from  the  text,  'The 
Spirit  and  the  Bride  say  come,  let  him  that  heareth 
say  come;  and  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  of  the 


454  Farewell  Meeting, 

water  of  life  freely. '  Soon  after  the  close  of  the  ser- 
mon an  opportunity  was  given  to  those  who  wished  to 
leave  at  that  time,  after  which  a  time  of  prayer  was 
allowed  and  a  number  of  seekers  came  around  the 
altar  and  were  converted. 

''This  meeting  was  the  farewell  service  of 
Brother  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame,  who  have  been 
so  efficient  in  their  labors  here  during  the  past  five 
weeks.  Last  evening  was  one  of  the  most  impressive 
and  profitable  of  the  entire  series.  The  altar  was 
twdce  filled  mth  earnest  seekers,  and  many  for  the 
first  time  tasted  of  God's  grace  in  their  hearts.  At 
the  close  of  the  meeting  a  number  of  persons  united 
with  the  church,  after  which  the  congregation  en- 
gaged in  a  general  and  hearty  hand  shaking. 

"During  the  meetings  more  than  one  hundred 
and  fifty  persons  have  professed  to  be  converted, 
while  there  has  been  one  hundred  added  to  the  M.  E. 
Church  and  many  went  to  other  churches." 

Madison,  Indiana,  February,  1892. 

From  Seymour  we  went  to  Madison,  Indiana. 
This  historic  old  town  is  situated  on  the  north  bank 
of  the  Ohio  River,  half  way  between  Cincinnati  and 
Louisville,  sleeping  quietly  under  the  great  "Sand- 
stone Bluffs."  It  is  a  beautiful  place,  mth  its  out- 
lying natural  parks  and  woodlands,  places  for  poets 
to  hear  the  muses  play,  and  scenes  for  the  artists  to 
sketch.  Our  home  was  on  Water  street  with  Mrs. 
Reed,  a  widow  lady,  and  she  was  very  kind.  We  had 
a  large  upper  room  fronting  the  south,  with  a  fine 
outlook;  the  beautiful  Ohio  with  its  majestic  current 
sweeping  on  toward  the  sea ;  in  the  distance  the  Ken- 
tucky hills  gradually  rising  from  the  river's  bank 
until  in  the  distance  they  seemed  "Like  hoary  peaks 
to  pro  J)  the  skies." 


Many  Converted,  455 

Our  meetings  were  held  in  Trinity  M.  E.  Church, 
C.  W.  Tinsley,  pastor.  But  when  our  meetings  began 
we  found  that  sin  had  entered  this  beautiful  town, 
and  pastoral  paradise,  and  that  even  the  Lord's  peo- 
ple, some  of  them  had  been  led  astray  by  the  wicked 
devices  of  Satan.  It  is  the  "old  story"  of  Paradise, 
and  Satan  and  Sin,  but  mth  it  the  heautiful  story  of 
redemption  from  Sin,  through  the  seed  of  the  woman 
that  should  "bruise  the  serpent's  head."  Brother  C. 
W.  Tinsley  and  his  wife  we  found  to  be  most  con- 
genial workers  and  intelligent  Christians,  and  they 
nobly  stood  b}-  us  in  this  battle  for  the  Lord  against 
the  hosts  of  sin. 

Our  meetings  were  well  attended  from  the  be- 
ginning, though  some  of  the  leading  professors 
stayed  away  for  a  time,  making  the  excuse  they  did 
not  believe  in  Evangelists.  The  results  of  the  meet- 
ings here  cannot  be  better  brought  before  the  reader 
than  by  inserting  the  following  accounts  as  given  for 
the  journals  by  the  pastor. 

Evangelists. 

"The  special  services  at  Trinity  Church  the  past 
week  have  resulted  in  many  accessions  to  the  church 
and  a  large  number  of  conversions.  The  Bible  read- 
ings of  Mr.  Frame  each  morning  set  forth  the  very 
heart  of  the  Gospel  in  a  clear,  convincing  style,  while 
the  preaching  of  Mrs.  Frame  is  just  such  as  is  best 
calculated  to  bring  men  and  women  to  an  innnediate 
decision  for  Christ ;  clear,  earnest  and  full  of  unction. 

"The  house  has  been  crowded  to  its  utmost 
capacity  each  evening,  and  last  night  as  well  as  the 
night  before  quite  a  mnnber  were  turned  away  for 
want  of  room. 

"Never  was  more  direct  and  earnest  preaching 
heard  than  can  be  heard  each  night  from  the  lips  of 


456  Madison,  Indiana. 

these  Evangelists,  and  never  in  the  history  of  this 
church  has  there  been  better  prospects  for  a  gracious 
and  genuine  revival  of  religion  at  the  end  of  ten  day's 
effort.  And  now  the  church  is  coming  to  realize  its 
responsibility  for  the  success  of  the  work,  and  we 
are  looking  for  a  decided  victory." 

Another  account  says : 

**  Trinity  Church  was  crowded  last  night  touch- 
ing the  scriptural  authority  for  women  preaching 
and  the  narrative  of  Mrs.  Frame's  experience  and 
call  to  the  ministry.  Mr.  Frame  showed  clearly  that 
originally  man  and  woman  were  divinely  endowed 
with  equal  authority;  that  woman's  subjection  was 
the  result  of  the  fall,  and  that  Christ  came  to  remove 
the  curse;  that  the  teaching  of  the  New  Testament 
contains  nothing  as  to  her  subjection  to  man ;  that  the 
Pauline  statement  concerning  her  silence  in  the 
church  was  given  for  reasons  of  expediency  purely 
and  as  of  local  application. 

**Mrs.  Frame's  story  of  her  parentage,  her  early 
surroundings,  her  conversion  at  an  early  age,  her 
unmistakable  call  to  preach,  her  struggle  against 
such  call,  and  her  final  yielding,  was  told  in  such  a 
graphic,  yet  graceful  and  pathetic  manner  as  to 
charm  all. 

*'She  concluded  her  discourse  by  eloquently  urg- 
ing sinners  to  accept  Christ  who  had  so  gloriously 
saved  her. 

**  About  sixty  penitents  arose  for  prayers  and 
the  altar  was  soon  crowded  with  seeking  souls,  and 
many  were  joyfully  saved.  With  each  service  the 
revival  is  deepening  and  widening,  and  gives  promise 
of  such  an  awakening  as  has  never  been  in  this  city. 
And  so  we  might  continue  these  accounts  from  night 
to  night  while  the  meetings  lasted,  for  more  than 
four  weeks.    Among  many  remarkable  conversions 


Prosecuting  Attorney  Converted.  457 

I  mention  that  of  the  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  the 
county,  a  very  brilliant  lawyer.  His  wife  had  once 
been  a  Christian,  but  had  backslidden  by  going  to 
dances  and  theaters.  She  said  she  thought  she  could 
win  her  husband  in  that  way  but  Esther  told  her  the 
way  to  have  her  husband  saved  was  for  her  to  live  a 
Godly  life  herself,  so  she  was  brought  under  convic- 
tion and  went  to  her  husband  and  asked  his  forgive- 
ness and  then  came  to  the  altar  and  was  reclaimed, 
and  this  brought  her  husband  under  the  power  of  the 
Lord,  and  one  night  when  quite  a  large  number  of 
young  people  and  children  had  come  forward  for 
prayers,  he  came  down  the  aisle  to  the  altar  and  knelt 
between  some  little  children  and  in  broken  accents, 
and  in  childlike  simplicity  began  to  pray  aloud  that 
he  might  be  saved.  His  prayer  was  'O  Lord,  have 
mercy  on  me,  a  sinner  !^  and  soon  the  brilliant  Lawyer 
was  rejoicing  with  the  little  children. 

''More  than  two  hundred  people  were  converted 
at  these  meetings.  The  meetings  continued  about 
three  weeks,  but  we  must  leave  this  beautiful  town 
and  blessed  work  and  pitch  our  tents  in  some  other 
field,  for  here  we  have  no  continuing  city.    But 

"There  is  a  land  of  pure  delight, 
Where  Saints  immortal  reign ; 

Infinite  day  excludes  the  night 
And  pleasures  banish  pain.'' 

Birmingham,  Alabama,  August,  1892. 

From  Madison,  Indiana,  went  home,  and  re- 
mained until  after  our  Yearly  Meeting  at  Wilming- 
ton, Ohio.  On  August  25th  left  home  for  Birming- 
ham, Alabama,  to  hold  a  Tabernacle  meeting  with 
Brother  F.  T.  Tyler,  the  Cumberland  Presb;^erian 
minister,  with  whom  we  labored  two  years  before. 


458  Tabernacle  Meetings, 

Our  meetings  in  the  daytime  were  held  in  the 
house  and  at  night  in  the  large  Tabernacle  that  would 
seat  two  thousand  people. 

This  Tabernacle  was  nightly  filled  with  earnest 
listeners,  and  soon  would  not  accommodate  the 
throngs  who  came.  After  the  Tabernacle  was  filled 
the  people  stood  in  masses  all  around  the  structure 
and  pressed  up  as  closely  as  they  could  get  to  hear  the 
''Quakers/' 

The  meeting  that  we  held  here  two  years  before 
had  prepared  the  minds  of  the  people  to  come  again. 
Following  is  an  account  from  one  of  the  leading 
journals  of  Birmingham,  which  will  serve  to  show 
the  interest  manifested  in  this  Tabernacle  meeting: 

''Tabernacle  Meetings/' 

**ror  more  than  a  week  Nathan  and  Esther 
Frame,  from  Ohio,  who  have  labored  with  such  great 
success  in  different  parts  of  the  United  States  for 
the  past  twenty  years,  have  been  holding  meetings 
at  Brother  Tyler's  Tabernacle  in  this  city. 

*'From  the  first  meeting  Sabbath,  one  week  ago, 
the  revival  spirit  has  been  dominant  in  all  the  ser- 
vices, and  the  Tabernacle  has  been  thronged  nightly 
with  our  best  citizens  and  members  of  the  different 
churches  to  hear  the  gospel  preached  in  the  demon- 
stration of  the  spirit  and  with  power.  The  preach- 
ing is  simple,  direct  and  scriptural.  They  seem  de- 
termined to  know  nothing  but  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him 
crucified.  Hundreds  of  the  unconverted  have  arisen 
for  prayer,  many  have  been  converted  and  the  church 
has  been  greatly  blessed. 

**Mr.  Frame  is  an  educated  and  cultivated  Chris- 
tian gentleman,  and  in  his  Bible  readings  and  exposi- 
tions preaches  grand  gospel  sermons,  and  they  are 
greatly  blessed  to  the  good  of  the  meetings.    As  there 


Longing  For  Souls,  459 

is  prejudice  in  the  minds  of  some  of  our  people 
against  a  woman  preaching,  we  wish  to  say  of  Mrs. 
Frame,  she  is  a  modest,  refined,  educated  lady.  Her 
mother  was  a  Southern  woman. 

"But  we  wish  to  speak  more  especially  of  Mrs. 
Frame  as  a  preacher,  for  she  certainly  is,  and  one 
of  the  first  order.  It  is  not  the  mere  novelty  of  the 
woman  preacher  that  calls  out  the  immense  audiences 
night  after  night.  Her  sermons  are  full  of  thought 
for  the  most  cultered  and  refined  minds.  They 
sparkle  with  intelligence,  and  the  truths  she  utters 
are  forced  home  to  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the  peo- 
ple by  the  most  beautiful  and  apt  illustrations,  and 
as  a  matter  of  mere  intellectual  entertainment  our 
people  cannot  afford  to  miss  hearing  her.  But  above 
all  else,  she  preaches  with  the  demonstration  of  the 
spirit  and  with  power. 

''The  attendance  was  large  yesterday.  Mr. 
Frame  opened  the  meeting  by  saying,  'We  want  a 
praise  meeting,  for  the  Lord  has  greatly  blessed  us. 
From  the  first  session  of  the  meetings  the  holy  spirit 
has  overshadowed  us  and  many  souls  have  been  con- 
verted, hundreds  have  arisen  for  prayer  and  declared 
their  intention  to  become  Christians.  The  church 
membership  have  consecrated  themselves  anew  to 
God  for  work,  and  some  of  the  pastors  of  the  city 
who  could  not  attend  the  meetings  have  urged  their 
members  to  attend  and  get  a  blessing  at  this  spiritual 
feast,  for  all  these  things  let  us  praise  the  Lord. ' 

"Many  church  members  then  gave  testimony  by 
vocal  praise  and  thanksgiving.  Then  penitents  were 
called  and  a  number  responded.  Then  Mrs.  Frame 
said:  'AVhat  we  need  is  the  church  to  go  before  God 
in  prayer,  earnest,  persistent,  prevailing  prayer,  and 
the  Lord  will  give  us  hundreds  of  souls  converted 


460  Birmingiiam,  Alabama. 

unto  Him. '    It  was  one  of  the  most  blessed  meetings 
of  the  series. 

^'In  the  evening  an  immense  concourse  of  people 
assembled  at  the  Tabernacle  to  hear  Mrs.  Frame. 
Mr.  Frame  read  some  scripture  showing  that  women 
are  called  to  preach  as  well  as  men.  Mrs.  Frame  then 
in  her  inimitable  way  told  how  she  was  converted 
when  a  little  girl,  before  her  father  and  mother  were 
Christians,  and  as  soon  as  converted  God  called  her 
to  preach.  She  then  in  the  most  graphic  manner, 
spoke  of  the  criticisms  and  trials  she  had  passed 
through,  and  of  their  sacrifice  in  selling  their  home, 
and  leaving  all  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  of  the  thou- 
sands who  have  been  converted. 

''Eev.  F.  T.  Tyler,  the  honest,  zealous  and  Chris- 
tian gentleman  is  so  delighted  with  the  meetings  now 
being  held  at  the  Tabernacle  that  his  face  wears  a 
heavenly  smile." 

Birmingham  is  situated  five  hundred  miles  south 
of  Cincinnati,  and  is  in  the  center  of  the  great  South- 
ern iron  ore  region,  with  immense  coal  fields  not  far 
away,  and  since  the  Civil  War  has  become  a  great 
center  of  trade  and  is  fast  becoming  one  of  the  great- 
est iron  manufacturing  cities  of  the  United  States. 
The  town  itself  is  in  a  beautiful  little  valley,  almost 
surrounded  by  a  circle  of  finely  wooded  hills  that  are 
soon  to  be  the  homes  of  the  wealthy  citizens  of  the 
town.  O !  how  we  rejoice  over  the  hundreds  of  souls 
that  God  gave  us  while  there ;  we  bade  them  farewell, 
but  shall  meet  them  in  the  resurrection  morning, 
when  God*s  people  are  finally  gathered  from  all 
climes,  and  join  in  the  jubilant  shout  of  victory  over 
the  last  enemy,  "which  is  Death/ ^ 


Vermillion  Grove.  461 


Second  Visit  to  Vermillion  Grove,  Illinois. 

To  this  little  way  station  on  the  Eastern  Illinois 
Eailway  we  came  from  Chicago  on  Friday,  Novem- 
ber 16, 1892.  Esther  was  delicate  in  health,  suffering 
much  from  neuralgia  and  nervous  debility.  The  cold 
November  wind  swept  through  the  streets  and  alleys 
of  the  city  of  Chicago  the  morning  we  boarded  the 
train  in  the  dingy  and  dirt  begrimed  depot.  The 
car  in  which  we  rode  was  cold  and  Esther  suffered 
much  all  day,  as  the  slow  train  moved  on,  stopping  at 
all  the  stations.  We  arrived  at  eight  o'clock  at  night 
at  the  station  of  Vermillion  Grove,  which  was  only 
a  stopping  place  for  slow  trains,  and  the  depot,  only 
a  little  board  platform  where  the  passengers  alighted 
and  the  haggage  was  dumped. 

Our  train  was  late  and  our  friends  had  thought 
we  would  not  arrive  that  night.  So  we  started  on 
foot  to  our  friends,  William  and  Docia  Wootons. 
The  ground  was  hard  frozen  and  the  way  rough. 
Esther  sick  and  weary,  but  we  moved  on,  I  in  front 
with  the  sachels,  Esther  in  the  rear,  following  the 
little  zig-zag  cow  path  through  the  wood  and  pasture 
lot  that  led  to  our  friends'  house.  They  soon  pre- 
pared us  a  good  meal ;  Esther  ate  little,  she  suffered 
much  all  night  and  was  not  able  to  go  to  the  Quarterly 
Meeting. 

I  went  and  preached;  I  told  Friends  Esther 
would  be  well  enough  for  meeting  on  the  Sabbath, 
and  that  the  Lord  would  prepare  her  for  the  work, 
and  so  it  proved.  Many  friends  from  the  little  meet- 
ings in  the  country  came,  and  the  Quarterly  Meeting 
house  was  well  filled.  Though  the  weather  was  cold 
and  the  roads  were  very  bad,  the  meetings  grew  in 
interest  and  the  church  was  much  revived  and  people 
were  converted.     There  is  a  Friends'  Academy  at 


462  Thornfown,  Indiana, 

Vermillion  Grove,  and  at  the  time  of  our  meetings 
there  was  about  sixty  students  in  attendance. 

Charles  Moore  was  principal  of  the  Academy 
when  we  were  there.  Many  of  the  students  attended 
the  meetings  and  were  blessed.  Brother  Moore  gave 
efficient  help  in  the  revival  work. 

William  and  Docia  Wooton  were  pastors  and 
we  came  at  their  request  and  the  invitation  of  many 
Friends,  believing  that  the  Lord  called  us  here  to 
this  meeting  again. 

The  Friends  came  to  this  part  of  Illinois  when 
the  country  was  new,  and  were  largely  the  owners  of 
the  wonderfully  rich,  fertile  soil,  and  as  a  conse- 
quence there  are  a  number  of  *' Friends'  Meetings," 
and  meetinghouses  near  Vermillion  Grove.  But 
some  of  these  meetings  that  were  quite  large  and 
flourishing  in  the  days  of  the  fathers  and  mothers 
are  now  quite  small,  and  we  greatly  feared  that  the 
inheritance  that  was  once  ours  would  go  to  strangers 
unless  Friends  dedicated  themselves  and  their  means 
to  the  Lord,  and  brought  all  the  tithes  into  the  store- 
house. Our  prayer  for  Vermillion  Grove  Quarterly 
Meeting  is  they  may  reclaim  all  their  inheritance  and 
make  conquests  from  Satan's  kingdom. 

Thorntown,  Indiana,  January,  1893. 

We  began  the  winter  campaign  of  1893  at  Thorn- 
town,  Boone  County,  Indiana.  This  is  the  place 
where  Esther  was  converted  and  joined  the  M.  E. 
Church,  and  to  her  there  were  many  sacred  memor- 
ies clustering  around  the  old  church  home,  and  the 
place  where  she  had  spent  so  many  of  the  most  happy 
years  of  her  young,  sweet  girlhood  life,  with  her 
dear  father  and  mother,  and  she  fondly  pictured  the 
things  as  they  had  heen  in  the  years  of  the  past.  But 
time  had  wrought  many  changes.    Most  of  the  dear 


Thorntown.  463 

friends  whom  she  loved  and  knew  when  she  was  a 
girl  had  passed  away  into  the  home  beyond,  so  that 
when  she  sat  at  the  window  and  looked  from  our 
place  of  entertainment  to  the  house  that  had  been 
her  home  long  years  ago,  I  noticed  a  tear  silently 
stealing  down  her  cheek  and  she  remarked:  "Nathan, 
things  have  so  changed,  the  house  does  not  look  like 
it  did  when  father  and  mother  lived  there,  and  I  feel 
almost  like  I  am  alone.  I  thought  it  would  be  so 
beautiful  and  restful  to  come  back,  but  my  loved 
ones  are  all  gone. ' '  It  was  the  heart  cry  of  the  Poet 
Whittier  once  more  wailing  out 

"How  strange  it  seems  with  so  much  gone 

Of  love,  and  life,  to  still  live  on." 

Yet  there  is  a  sweet  pathetic  sadness  from  which 
we  refuse  to  be  divorced,  as  we  live  over  again  the 
happy  days  of  the  Golden  past,  but  we  turn  to  the 
narrative  before  us.  We  went  from  Jamestown,  Ohio, 
by  way  of  Indianapolis  to  Thorntown,  the  weather 
being  very  cold  and  stormy.  Our  train  was  three 
hours  late  when  we  arrived,  and  snow  had  fallen  to 
the  depth  of  six  inches  and  there  was  none  to  meet 
us  at  the  depot. 

We  went  to  Harmon  Allen's,  one-half  mile 
through  the  storm,  and  awakened  them,  and  were 
welcomed  to  their  home.  Here  w^e  rested  until  morn- 
ing (Sabbath)  and  went  to  meeting  at  eleven  o'clock. 
There  was  a  large  audience,  as  this  was  a  union  meet- 
ing ;  Friends,  Presbyterian  and  Episcopal  Methodist. 
The  presence  of  the  Lord  was  among  the  people  from 
the  first,  and  manj^  hearts  were  tendered  that  day, 
and  the  saints  rejoiced. 

We  held  two  meetings  each  day  as  was  our  cus- 
tom. The  day  meetings  were  largely  attended,  many 
unconverted  people  as  well  as  Christians  were  there. 
We  had  great  liberty  in  preaching  the  gospel,  and 


464  A  Great  Meeting, 

sinners  were  pricked  to  the  heart,  and  conversions 
occurred  at  both  the  day  and  night  meetings,  and  the 
attendance  soon  increased  so  much  that  the  large 
audience  room  was  often  not  sufficient  to  accommo- 
date the  crowds  who  came. 

The  weather  continued  stormy,  the  second  week 
of  the  meetings  the  snow  melted  imtil  it  was  soft  and 
then  suddenly  it  was  frozen  into  ice,  making  the  roads 
almost  impassible  for  horses  and  vehicles. 

The  sidewalks  in  the  town  were  a  solid  mass  of 
ice,  made  rough  and  uneven  by  being  trodden  over 
before  frozen,  and  such  was  the  condition  of  both  the 
streets  and  roads,  that  many  predicted  the  attend- 
ance of  the  meetings  would  be  small ;  but  there  was 
neither  loss  of  members  nor  diminishing  of  interest, 
**the  set  time  to  favor  Zion  had  come,"  and  the  diffi- 
culties only  seemed  to  increase  the  zeal  of  the  wor- 
shipers. 

"■^  There  was  opposition  among  the  ungodly  pro- 
fessors and  hardened  sinners  to  the  work,  and  many 
were  the  hard  sayings  that  were  launched  from  the 
tongues  of  the  wicked;  the  Presbyterian  minister 
himself  soon  becoming  an  opposer  and  finally  with- 
drew and  went  among  the  enemies  of  the  Lord,  and 
fought  with  Balek  against  Israel,  but  he  could  do  us 
no  harm,  he  only  advertised  the  meetings.  The  mani- 
festations of  the  Spirit  with  different  persons  was 
very  marked,  working  with  them  according  to  His 
own  good  pleasure.  People  attended  the  meetings 
who  lived  a  number  of  miles  in  the  country,  and  on 
returning  home  would  tell  to  those  who  had  not  been 
there  how  the  Lord  had  blessed  the  people  and  speak 
of  those  who  had  been  converted  and  conviction  for 
sin  would  come  upon  those  who  had  never  attended 
the  meetings. 


Many  Young  People  Saved.  465 

One  man  who  lived  three  miles  in  the  country, 
and  who  would  not  go  with  his  Godly  wife  to  hear  the 
preaching,  came  under  the  power  of  the  Lord  so  that 
he  could  not  rest,  and  one  night  about  three  o'clock 
his  wife  was  awakened  by  him  making  a  noise  in  the 
room  and  asked  him  why  he  had  arisen  so  early  and 
he  replied,  "I  am  cold!  I  am  chilling!  I  cannot  lay 
there  and  freeze."  He  built  the  fire,  but  soon  came 
close  to  the  bed,  and  falling  on  his  knees  began  to 
pray;  his  wife  came  to  his  rescue,  mingled  her 
prayers  with  his,  and  instructed  him  how  to  give 
himself  to  the  Saviour,  and  he  was  soon  converted. 
The  cold,  chilly  sensation  had  passed  away  and  next 
day  he  came  to  meeting  and  gave  testimony  to  the 
power  of  saving  grace. 

A  man  who  kept  a  drug  store  came  to  the  meet- 
ing one  morning  and  in  the  speaking  meeting  said: 
*'I  am  a  hypocrite,  I  have  been  professing  to  be  a 
Christian  and  I  am  not,  I  have  been  selling  whisky 
and  doing  it  slyly  for  drinking  purposes,  pray  for 
me  that  I  may  be  saved. ' ' 

He  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  church,  but 
was  soon  converted.  M'any  of  the  young  men  and 
women  of  the  town  were  reached,  and  scores  of  them 
were  converted,  and  in  giving  testimony  in  the  meet- 
ings told  how  they  had  been  led  into  sin  in  a  club  that 
they  attended  two  or  three  times  a  week. 

They  had  a  nicely  furnished  room  and  had  told 
their  parents  that  they  met  together  for  social  enter- 
tainment and  reading,  but  now  when  they  were  saved 
they  told  us  in  the  public  meeting  that  they  met  there 
to  drink,  to  play  cards  and  gamble.  These  young 
men  met  together  after  their  conversion  and  held  a 
prayer  meeting  each  evening  before  the  meetings  at 
the  church,  and  often  souls  were  brought  to  Christ 
in  these  meetings.     One  evening  they  remained  at 


i66  Report  of  Meetings. 

their  prayer  meeting  longer  than  usual,  and  the  ser- 
vice at  the  church  had  commenced.  They  came  in  a 
body  to  the  meeting-house,  each  carrying  a  *'Camp 
Chair,"  and  Esther  said  let  the  congregation  rise 
and  sing  ^'Hold  the  Fort,'*  which  was  done  with  a 
will,  and  then  the  people  said  Amen. 

This  was  a  meeting  of  great  power  and  the  whole 
town  and  county  for  miles  was  brought  imder  the 
power  of  the  Lord.  I  conclude  the  account  of  this 
meeting  by  copying  an  article  from  **The  Christian 
Worker.'' 

*' Thornton,  Ind.,  March  2,  1893.— A  little  more 
than  five  weeks  since,  Nathan  T.  and  Esther  G. 
Frame  began  a  series  of  meetings  in  Thomtown. 
The  Friends  at  'Sugar  Plain'  and  the  Methodists, 
uniting  in  meetings.  They  held  two  meetings  each 
day.  From  the  first  meeting  these  gifted  and  devoted 
Evangelists  preached  with  an  unction  and  a  logic 
that  their  adversaries  could  not  gainsay. 

*'They  presented  their  work  with  an  energy  that 
seemed  wonderful  to  those  who  attended  their  meet- 
ings. They  preached  great  sermons,  made  luminous 
by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Their  graphic 
comments  upon  the  written  word,  with  the  many 
beautiful  and  touching  illustrations  thrilled  their 
audiences  and  enforced  the  simple  story  of  Jesus  and 
His  love,  as  if  people  had  heard  it  for  the  first  time. 
They  sang  with  the  spirit,  and  with  the  understand- 
ing, and  often  the  people  were  melted  to  tears  as  they 
poured  out  their  souls  in  vocal  praises  unto  God. 

**  Their  prayers  were  the  simple  petitions  of  a 
heart  and  mind  in  communion  with  God,  and  every 
one  who  heard  them  felt  assured  that  their  prayers 
must  be  answered  in  the  conversion  of  sinners,  and 
sanctification  of  believers;  and  truly  such  has  been 
the  case. 


Night  Serenade.  467 

"The  displays  of  Dmne  power  were  such  as 
have  never  before  been  witnessed  in  this  part  of  the 
country.  More  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  have 
been  converted  and  many  have  professed  to  be 
cleansed  from  all  sin.  The  *  Backsliders'  have  been 
reclaimed  and  many  people  who  had  been  enemies  to 
each  other  have  become  friends,  and  now  love  each 
other.  The  whole  town  is  xmder  the  power  of  the 
Lord,  and  a  hush  of  quietness  prevades  the  commun- 
ity and  there  seems  to  be  a  felt  sense  of  the  spirit  of 
God  filling  the  atmosphere;  for  many  miles  in  the 
country  in  every  direction  people  are  being  saved 
and  some  who  have  never  attended  the  meetings  have 
been  converted.  Nearly  all  the  young  men  and  women 
in  the  town  have  been  saved,  the  gambling  places 
have  been  closed  up  or  turned  into  prayer  meeting 
rooms. 

"The  last  week  the  young  men  have  had  a  meet- 
ing each  evening  at  six  o'clock  at  some  one  of  these 
places,  and  conversions  have  occurred  at  every  meet- 
ing and  then  when  their  meeting  concludes  they  come 
in  a  body  to  the  meeting-house  and  take  their  places 
at  the  front,  ready  for  work.  The  young  women 
have  held  meetings  at  private  houses  of  a  like  nature 
and  it  was  certainly  one  of  the  most  touching  and 
soul-inspiring  sights  that  we  have  ever  witnessed  to 
see  more  than  one  hundred  of  these  young  men  and 
women  who  have  recently  been  converted,  their  faces 
all  aglow  with  the  soul-light,  come  into  the  house  of 
worship,  filling  the  aisles  from  the  dooi^way  to  the 
rostrum,  while  the  whole  congregation  were  singing 
*We  praise  Thee,  O  Lord,  for  the  Son  of  Thy  love.' 

"The  Evangelists  started  for  Kansas  City  to 
begin  a  series  of  meetings  at  Friends  meeting-house 
there.    About  two  hundred  people  of  our  place  ac- 


468  Man  in  Trance. 

companied  them  to  the  train  and  sang,  *  Sweet  By, 
and  By'  while  the  train  was  held,  then  they  left  us. 

*^H.  H.  Allen." 

There  is  another  incident  that  may  be  of  interest 
to  mention,  which  is  the  only  one  of  the  kind  that 
ever  occurred  in  our  meetings.  A  very  wicked  young 
man  came  to  the  meetings,  and  one  evening  one  of  the 
young  women  who  sang  in  the  choir  went  to  this 
young  man  at  the  close  of  the  sermon  and  invited 
him  to  come  forward  for  prayer,  and  with  many 
others  he  came  and  they  all  knelt  down  and  in  a  mo- 
ment or  two  he  fell  into  a  swoon,  or  trance,  and  many 
of  the  Christian  people  became  much  alarmed  and 
the  ungodly  looked  on  with  amazement.  Some 
mocked  and  others  were  frightened,  but  we  told  the 
people  not  be  troubled,  and  we  and  all  the  spiritually 
minded  had  asked  the  Lord  in  earnest  prayer  to 
manifest  in  any  way  that  was  best,  and  we  believed 
that  the  hand  of  our  God  was  in  it,  and  that  this  was 
only  another  way  in  which  the  Spirit  of  God  was 
manifesting  himself.  So  the  meeting  continued  until 
most  of  those  who  had  come  for  prayer  were  con- 
verted, and  the  meeting  closed  about  ten  o'clock. 
Still  the  young  man  had  not  come  out  of  his  swoon 
and  to  all  outward  appearance  he  was  perfectly  un- 
conscious and  helpless. 

We  dismissed  the  meeting  and  went  home,  leav- 
ing three  Christian  young  men  to  remain  with  him 
until  he  was  converted,  or  came  out  of  the  swoon  and 
could  go  home. 

Soon  after  we  left  two  physicians,  one  a  profes- 
sor of  religion,  came  to  the  meeting-house  and  asked 
the  young  men  with  him  to  allow  them  to  examine 
the  young  man,  saying  they  believed  he  was  only  pre- 
tending to  be  helpless,  and  that  they  could  soon 
awaken  him.    So  they  began  their  experiments  (for 


A  Visit  to  Heaven  and  Hell.  469 

the  larger  part  of  the  so-called  science  of  medicine 
is  experiment)  of  rolling  him  over,  stretching  him, 
opening  his  eyes  and  mouth,  and  finally  when  they 
could  not  succeed  in  this  way  they  stuck  pins  and 
sharp  instruments  into  his  flesh,  and  when  these 
cruelties  did  not  prove  their  theory  true,  they  went 
away  confessing  they  could  not  understand  what 
was  the  cause  of  his  condition. 

About  midnight  he  came  out  of  his  swoon,  or 
trance,  but  said  he  was  not  converted,  but  said 
though  entirely  helpless  while  the  doctors  were  tor- 
turing him,  he  was  conscious  of  the  pain  caused  by 
them  as  at  any  other  time. 

He  stated  further  that  the  spirit  had  carried  him 
in  a  vision  to  the  place  of  the  finally  lost,  and  where 
he  beheld  them  suffering  in  agony  and  despair— and 
among  them  were  some  of  those  he  had  known  while 
they  lived  on  earth,  who  had  died  in  wickedness— 
some  of  them  had  been  his  own  companions  in  sin, 
and  he  said  no  description  given  in  the  sacred  meet- 
ings or  by  others  who  had  written  on  the  subject  of 
hell  could  portray  the  misery  that  he  saw  in  the  short 
time  he  spent  in  the  abode  of  the  lost. 

He  was  also  permitted  to  behold  some  of  the 
glories  of  Heaven.  The  company  of  the  redeemed 
were  inexpressibly  happy  and  beautiful.  Immortal 
youth  was  stamped  upon  their  countenances,  and  all 
traces  of  care  and  weariness  was  taken  away  and  as 
he  gazed  upon  that  company  of  the  redeemed  he  saw 
some  of  those  with  whom  he  was  acquainted  in  their 
lifetime,  who  had  been  devoted  Christians,  and 
though  some  of  them  had  been  old  and  wrinkled  and 
worn  with  disease  when  they  died,  they  now  seemed 
vigorous  and  strong,  but  while  they  were  thus  so 
changed  and  glorified,  still  their  personality  remain- 
ed and  he  knew  them  as  he  knew  them  on  earth. 


470  Praises. 

He  came  to  the  meeting  the  following  night  and 
again  swooned  away  after  he  came  to  the  place  of 
prayer,  but  this  night  when  he  came  out  of  the  trance 
he  gave  clear  testimony  that  the  Lord  had  saved  him. 

This  young  man  was  a  despiser  of  the  revival 
meetings,  and  especially  was  he  bitter  in  denouncing 
the  excitement  at  such  meetings,  but  now  was  in  his 
right  mind  and  was  saved. 

We  mention  one  more  manifestation  of  the  spirit 
before  closing  this  accoimt.  One  night  after  twelve 
o'clock  we  were  awakened  by  some  noises  on  the 
street,  a  company  of  persons  singing.  Thinking  it 
was  some  rude  people  making  sport,  we  listened,  and 
soon  came  to  us  clearly  the  words  in  song  by  many 
voices  echoing  through  the  still  night  the  chorus  of 
a  hymn  that  had  been  sung  frequently  in  the  meet- 
ings.   This  was  the  chorus : 

*'0!  Precious  is  the  flow 
That  makes  me  white  as  snow. 
No  other  fount  I  know— 
Nothing  but  the  blood  of  Jesus." 
A  company  of  about  sixty  boys  from  fourteen 
to  sixteen  years  old,  who  had  been  convei*ted  at  our 
meetings,  had  just  closed  a  prayer  meeting  at  a  busi- 
ness room.    Some  of  their  friends  had  been  converted 
and  after  dismissing  their  meeting  they  had  con- 
cluded as  a  final  jubilee  to  march  down  the  street 
and  sing  *' Nothing  but  the  blood  of  Jesus." 

We  went  to  the  window  and  watched  these  dear 
young  boys  in  the  rapture  of  their  first  love  for  the 
Saviour,  and  as  we  looked  and  listened  we  were  re- 
minded of  that  company  of  the  heavenly  host,  who 
centuries  ago  sang  the  chorus  of  heaven's  jubilee 
song  above  the  plains  of  Bethlehem. 

**  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  on  earth  peace, 
and  good  will  to  men,"  and  of  the  voices  of  the  little 


Kansas  City.  471 

children  ringing  out,  when  the  Saviour  was  here 
among  men  in  the  days  of  His  earthly  sojourn, 
"Hosanah!  Hosanah!  Blessed  is  He  that  cometh  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord." 

O !  that  men  would  praise  the  Lord  for  his  won- 
derful works  among  the  children  of  men.  No  marvel 
that  the  Sa^dour  said  to  those  who  wanted  the  child- 
ren to  hold  their  peace;  that  if  they  did  the  very 
stones  would  cry  out. 


Kansas  City,  Missouri,  February,  1893. 

From  Thorntown,  Ind.,  on  February  4th,  we 
started  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  to  hold  meetings 
in  the  Friends  meeting-house.  We  made  our  home 
with  Thomas  and  Alice  Newby,  and  good,  true 
friends  they  were  to  us.  They  are  devoted  Christians 
and  we  had  a  sweet  home  of  rest  and  comfort  with 
them ;  how  precious  is  the  memory  of  such,  God  bless 
and  comfort  them,  for  they  have  been  true  soldiers 
of  the  cross  for  many  years.  We  found  that  as  the 
beloved  deciple  puts  it  in  the  last  message  to  the 
churches,  there  were  some  even  in  Kansas  City  who 
had  not  defiled  their  garments,  but  walk  with  the 
Lord  in  white. 

The  Lord  was  with  us  and  a  number  were  con- 
verted, and  the  little  band  of  Friends  were  greatly 
blessed  and  encouraged.  There  was  a  widow  and  her 
fifteen-year-old  daughter  converted,  each  of  them, 
we  were  told,  worth  one  million  dollars,  and  there 
was  a  poor  little  girl  not  worth  one  himdred  cents 
saved  at  the  same  time,  and  they  all  bowed  at  the 
same  place  and  alike  confessed  their  sins— and  all 
had  their  names  recorded  in  the  ''Lamb's  Book  of 
Life."    God  is  no  respecter  of  persons. 


472  Lawrence,  Kansas, 


Lawrence,  Kansas, 

Lawrence,  Kansas,  is  forty  miles  north  of  Kan- 
sas City,  Missouri.  The  Friends  were  among  the 
first  settlers  of  Lawrence,  and  many  of  them  occu- 
pied prominent  places  in  the  town  and  state. 

The  Coxes,  Nicholsons,  Stanleys,  Douises,  New- 
lins,  Stubbs,  Miles  and  others.  The  Friends'  yearly 
meeting  house,  a  substantial  stone  building,  is  here, 
and  in  this  house  we  held  our  first  series  of  meetings 
in  Lawrence  in  1884.  The  weather  was  stormy  when 
we  arrived.  We  were  entertained  for  a  time  at  the 
home  of  our  dear  friends,  Edmund  Stanley.  Then 
Ross,  W.  and  Stella  Stubbs  gave  us  a  pressing  invi- 
tation to  make  our  home  with  them,  which  we  gladly 
accepted. 

It  was  a  home  of  genuine  hospitality  and  through 
all  the  years  since  they  have  remained  our  tried  and 
true  friends.  God  bless  them  ever.  There  were  many 
conversions  at  these  meetings;  Mrs.  Stubbs  was  not 
a  member  of  Friends,  but  joined  the  church  at  this 
time.  We  found  many  people  who  had  been  con- 
verted at  the  great  meetings  we  held  ten  years  ago— 
who  were  now  leading  men  and  women— and  most 
devoted  Christians.  Among  the  many  hundreds  of 
our  child  friends  were  George  and  Lenore  Stubbs. 

Our  last  meeting  was  one  not  to  be  soon  forgot- 
ten by  those  present.  Every  available  space  in  the 
great  audience  room  was  filled  with  devout  worship- 
ers who  listened  with  rapt  attention  to  our  messages 
of  salvation. 

From  Lawrence  we  went  to  Emporia  and  held 
meetings  for  ten  days.  We  made  our  home  with 
Oliver  and  Margaret  Smith,  friends,  who  had  form- 


GrEORGE   AXD  LeOXORE. 


Kit  Carson's  Grave,  473 


Emporia,  Kansas. 

erly  resided  at  Green  Plains,  Clark  County,  Ohio. 
We  had  a  most  delightful  time  while  there,  and  the 
Lord  greatly  blessed  us  in  the  meetings  and  a  num- 
ber were  converted.  The  meeting  gave  promise  of 
great  success,  but  we  were  so  weary  with  work  we 
could  go  no  farther. 

Enroute  to  New  Mexico. 

We  went  from  Emporia,  Kansas,  to  Las  Cruces, 
New  Mexico,  to  pay  a  little  visit  to  our  son  and 
daughter.  Through  the  wide,  fertile  fields  of  Kansas 
the  train  carried  us  toward  the  setting  sun;  to  the 
sand-blown  town  of  Lajunta  (La  Hunta)  then  on 
southwesterly  to  the  city  of  Albuquerque  and  from 
there  down  the  Rio  Grande  to  Las  Cruces,  New  Mex- 
ico. 

After  leaving  the  Highlands  of  Kansas  we  came 
in  sight  of  the  Rockies,  with  their  snowy  peaks.  We 
soon  crossed  the  Raton  Mountains  between  Colorado 
and  New  Mexico ;  at  the  top  there  was  a  tunnel  one 
mile  in  length ;  here  we  were  at  an  elevation  of  eight 
thousand  feet  above  sea  level. 

As  the  train  carried  us  down  the  shore  of  the 
great  river,  away  to  our  left  was  a  chain  of  moun- 
tains, brown  and  bare,  their  tops  bathed  in  sunlight, 
their  lower  portions  in  a  blue  haze  and  fringed  with 
royal  purple.  On  one  part  of  our  route  we  passed  a 
little  plat  of  ground  enclosed  by  a  wooden  paling 
fence.  It  was  near  the  railway  track  and  far  from 
any  habitation.  There  was  a  small  wind-blown  Cot- 
tonwood standing  inside  this  enclosure.  Here  is  said 
to  be  buried  the  remains  of  *'Kit  Carson,*'  the  cele- 


474  Organ  Mountains. 

brated  Indian  Scout.     This  lone  tree  was  the  only 
mourner,  save  the  tall  grass. 

Las  Cruces,  New  Mexico. 

We  found  our  children  well  when  we  arrived  at 
Las  Cruces.  The  days  went  swiftly  by.  We  gazed 
with  delight  and  awe  on  the  great  Organ  Moimtains, 
twelve  miles  distant,  and  they  seemed  to  us  not  more 
than  two  or  three  miles  away.  These  mountains  are 
ten  thousand  feet  above  sea  level  from  the  valley  of 
the  Rio  Grande,  the  ascent  is  gradual  up  to  their 
base.  In  going  out  our  horses  toiled  wearily  through 
the  dry  sand.  We  frequently  crossed  waterless  tor- 
rent beds  that  become  foaming  streams  when  the 
clouds  pour  out  their  showers  of  rain  in  the  moun- 
tains. The  springs  and  fountains  of  water  are  in  the 
mountains.  The  wide  desert  plain  has  a  vegetable 
growth  peculiar  to  an  arid  climate;  that  all  seemed 
new  and  strange  to  us.  The  great,  thorny  cacti, 
covering  a  square  yard  of  space  and  three  or  four 
feet  high,  with  hundreds  of  beautiful,  brilliant 
flowers— red,  purple,  pink,  yellow— delicate  and 
sweet  scented,  then  the  yucca,  from  five  to  fifteen 
feet  high,  with  a  crown  of  lanceolated  leaves  from 
the  center  of  which  shoots  a  small  stem  bearing  a 
great  generous  cluster  of  white,  cream  colored 
flowers  that  scent  the  desert  all  around  and  this  new 
strange  vegetable  growth  may  be  multiplied  by  thou- 
sands. 

Here,  at  the  base  of  the  great  Organ  Mountains, 
with  our  dear  children,  we  rested  for  a  little  time 
in  this  solitude ;  drank  the  crystal  water  that  fell  in 
trickling  drops  from  the  towering  cliffs;  breathed 
the  pure  atmosphere  that  came  from  the  heights 
above. 


A  Tramp's  Letter,  475 


Columbia,  Tennessee, 

We  returned  to  our  home  in  Ohio  and  remained 
a  few  days  and  on  May  22nd  went  to  Columbia,  Ten- 
nessee, We  had  good  meetings  and  a  good  many 
were  saved.  Following  is  a  letter  written  us  while 
here,  it  will  show  how  the  holy  spirit  reaches  out 
after  the  lost. 

A  Tramp's  Letter. 

*' Columbia,  May,  1893. 
**Dear  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  Evangelists. 

*'My  Dear  Madam:— I  have  listened  to  your 
beautiful  sermons  ever  since  last  Tuesday  night.  I 
feel  that  you  are  a  Christian.  Every  sermon  that 
you  have  preached  has  touched  my  heart.  I  am 
nothing  but  just  a  poor  old  vagabond,  and  a  conomon 
tramp.  My  life  has  been  a  sad  one  and  a  hard  one. 
I  have  wandered  the  world  over  hunting  for  peace, 
and  I  have  never  found  it.  I  want  you  and  your 
earnest  husband  to  pray  for  the  poor  old  tramp,  and 
I  ask  for  the  prayers  of  the  church  and  Christian 
people. 

I  am  nothing  in  the  world  to  any  one ;  the  world 
would  be  better  by  me  being  out  of  it,  or  that  I  never 
had  been  born.  If  the  God  that  you  serve  can  give 
peace  to  my  weary  soul,  O  Madam,  ask  for  God's 
holy  sake,  ask  him  to  give  me  that  peace.  My  life 
has  been  a  hell  on  earth. 

I  would  have  committed  suicide,  but  I  was  too 
cowardly  to  do  it.  O !  pray  for  me  and  ask  God  to 
give  me  peace.  I  long  to  be  in  the  grave  to  rest,  if 
nothing  more.  O !  Madam,  please  do  not  slight  this 
letter.  Help  me,  O  pray  for  me  for  Jesus  sake,  I 
want  the  kind  of  a  place  that  you  speak  about. 


476  Auburn,  Indiana, 

I  will  go  to  hear  you  tonight  again.  Please 
don't  say  anything  about  this  letter,  I  don't  wish  it 
made  public,  but  O,  pray  for  me!  I  don't  sign  my 
name,  but  for  Jesus'  sake  pray  for  me." 

Auburn,  Indiana,  October  ISth,  1893. 

October  18th,  1893,  we  went  from  Jamestown, 
Ohio,  to  Auburn,  Indiana,  to  hold  a  series  of  meet- 
ings with  Brother  Wooton,  pastor  of  the  First  M.  E. 
Church.  There  were  no  Friends  there,  but  Brother 
Wooten  was  himself  a  descendant  of  the  Quakers  and 
was  well  acquainted  with  them  and  their  faith.  He 
was  an  excellent  man  and  our  association  was  of  the 
most  pleasant  nature. 

Our  meetings  continued  three  weeks,  two  meet- 
ings each  day,  and  over  two  hundred  made  profes- 
sion of  conversion.  One  young  man,  a  noted  sinner, 
and  gambler,  who  had  spent  a  fortune  in  dissipation, 
came  with  his  mother,  a  devoted  Christian,  to  the 
meetings  and  was  brought  under  conviction  and 
asked  his  mother  to  invite  us  to  dine  with  them,  which 
she  did.  The  mother  was  very  anxious  that  we  should 
have  an  earnest  talk  with  him  but  we  had  no  liberty 
then,  and  took  our  departure  without  saying  any- 
thing to  him  on  religious  subjects.  He  still  attended 
the  meetings  and  one  day  said  to  his  mother,  *'Why 
did  not  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  say  something  to  me 
about  being  a  Christian;  they  did  not  mention  the 
subject,  I  thought  they  would  have  preached  a  regu- 
lar sermon  to  me.  Mother,  I  want  to  have  a  talk  with 
them  and  you  must  invite  them  to  dine  with  us 
again,"  and  so  she  did. 

Now  the  way  was  open,  and  we  could  talk  to  him 
with  freedom,  and  he  opened  to  us  his  heart.  Soon 
after  he  came  to  the  night  meeting  with  one  of  his 
gambling  friends  and  they  both  came  to  the  altar  and 


Gambler  Saved.  477 

were  converted,  but  I  must  mention  here  another 
character  in  connection  with  these  two  young  men. 
A  young  woman,  a  leader  in  wordly  society,  and  who 
was  to  conduct  the  grand  march  at  a  great  social  ball. 
She  had  been  brought  under  conviction  and  convert- 
ed, and  when  the  invitation  was  given  for  the  young 
men  to  come  forward,  she  went  to  them  and  told  how 
wonderfully  the  Lord  had  saved  her,  and  induced 
them  to  come  forsv^ard  and  give  themselves  to  the 
Sa\dour.  She  brought  one  of  her  dancing  slippers 
and  gave  it  to  Esther  as  a  souvenir.  The  young  man 
brought  his  dice,  his  cards  and  a  sand  bag,  for  he 
had  been  a  gambler,  and  gave  them  to  Esther,  and 
he  gave  her  his  private  key  that  admitted  him  into 
a  gambling  room  in  the  town  where  many  of  the 
young  men  spent  their  time  in  drinking  and  other 
excesses. 

Two  young  men,  sons  of  a  prominent  Lawyer, 
and  a  Congressman's  daughter,  who  were  likewise 
in  the  destroyer's  power,  and  on  the  way  to  ruin,  were 
saved,  and  so  we  might  multiply  individual  cases. 

Brother  Wooton,  the  pastor  of  the  church,  in 
one  of  the  morning  meetings,  came  forward  with  a 
number  of  his  and  other  church  members,  for  the 
baptism  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  after  a  time  of 
prayer,  he  having  engaged  in  most  earnest  prayer 
for  the  blessing  on  himself,  when  all  had  been  quiet 
for  a  time,  suddenly  sprang  to  his  feet  and  exclaimed 
repeating  the  sentence  several  times,  '*It's  clear  as 
a  sunbeam,  it's  clear  as  a  sunbeam,  I  am  cleansed 
from  all  sin.  For  two  or  three  days  I  have  been 
so  burdened  for  myself  I  could  not  pray  for  sinners." 

So  the  gospel  preached  was  the  power  of  God 
Tmto  Salvation  to  all  who  believed.  The  question  is 
frequently  asked  us  why  do  you  hold  so  many  meet- 
ings among  other  denominations  outside  of  the 
Friends  Church,  and  our  reply  is:    *'We  believe  the 


478  Greencastle,  Indiana. 

Lord  has  called  us  to  this  work,  and  placed  an  open 
door  before  us.  Our  field  is  the  world,  and  our  mis- 
sion the  Salvation  of  sinners.  Our  home  is  in  heaven 
and  we  press  to  the  mark  of  our  high  calling  which  is 
in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 

Greencastle,  Indiana,  November  29th,  1893. 

On  November  29th  we  went  to  Greencastle,  In- 
diana, and  commenced  a  series  of  meetings  in  Col- 
lege Avenue  M.  E.  Churcli.  Brother  Salem  B.  Towne 
was  the  pastor,  a  most  excellent  man  and  consecrated, 
devoted  Christian,  and  an  honored  minister  among 
his  own  people.  We  shall  ever  remember  him 
as  one  of  the  Lord's  most  honored  servants.  His 
dear  wife  was  one  of  the  "Elect  Ladies''  and  their 
children  were  like  a  wreath  of  sweet  flowers  in  the 
home. 

Greencastle  is  where  the  Dupaw  University  of 
the  M.  E.  Church  is  situated,  and  the  College  Avenue 
M.  E.  Church  is  where  the  students  from  the  Uni- 
versity attend  meeting. 

This  meeting  was  one  of  great  power  and  we  had 
great  liberty  in  preaching  the  gospel.  There  were 
many  of  the  students  from  the  University  who  came 
and  fifty  of  these  young  men  from  the  Theological 
Department  professed  to  receive  the  baptism  with 
the  holy  spirit  and  cleansing  from  all  sin.  They 
were  studying  for  the  minstry  and  now  they  would 
carry  the  holy  fire  among  the  people  where  they 
should  go  to  preach.  These  young  men  during  the 
holidays  were  sent  out  to  the  different  towns  in  the 
surrounding  country  to  hold  meetings,  and  one  year 
after  we  held  this  series  of  meetings,  when  passing 
through  Indianapolis,  having  to  change  cars  there, 
we  met  four  of  the  young  men  who  had  been  endued 
with  power  from  on  high.    They  had  been  holding 


Popular  Sins.  479 

a  series  of  meetings  at  Covington,  Indiana,  and  were 
on  their  way  back  to  the  College.  The  Lord  had 
given  them  scores  of  souls. 

A  young  man,  a  member  of  the  church,  a  very 
fine  musician  and  gifted  in  oratory,  but  very  dis- 
sipated, a  student  at  the  College,  came  to  the  meet- 
ings and  came  forward  for  prayer  and  cried  out  in 
agony  of  spiprit,  *'0  Lord,  I  can't  give  up,  I  can't 
be  a  Christian."  Then  he  would  pray  again  and  call 
on  the  Lord  to  save  him  and  forgive  his  sins.  Be- 
fore he  came  to  our  meetings  he  was  intending  as 
soon  as  he  graduated  to  go  on  the  stage  as  a  musician 
and  this  was  what  he  could  not  give  up,  but  finally 
he  came  to  the  point  of  surrendering  all  to  God  and 
was  most  wonderfully  saved,  and  declared  to  us  now 
he  felt  that  the  Lord  had  called  him  to  preach  the 
gospel.  "O,"  said  this  young  man,  *'I  have  been 
almost  ruined  by  social  card  playing  and  dancing; 
my  life  has  been  a  failure.  O,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame, 
promise  me  wherever  you  go  that  you  will  preach 
against  these  popular  amusements  and  warn  young 
men  against  them.  Warn  Christian  people  against 
having  social  card  parties,  for  there  is  tvhere  I  got  my 
taste  for  gambling/' 

We  dined  a  number  of  times  with  Brother 
Weaver  and  wife;  she  was  the  daughter  of  Bishop 
Simpson  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  said  to  have  been  the 
imost  celebrated  pulpit  orator  of  America.  Brother 
i  Weaver  was  one  of  the  professors  in  the  College,  and 
had  formerly  been  United  States  Consul  to  Germany 
and  had  become  somewhat  a  materialist.  But  he  at- 
tended the  revival  meetings,  something  he  had  not 
done  before,  and  he  became  much  interested.  While 
driving  us  to  his  home,  he  turned  to  us  and  said: 
*'Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  I  have  just  found  out  my  mis- 
take, I  have  been  trying  to  find  out  spiritual  things 
by  intellectual  rules,  and  it  cannot  be  done. ' ' 


480  Huntington,  Indiana. 

Brother  Jenkins  and  Brother  Curtis,  one  a 
superannuated  minister,  and  the  other.  Brother  Cur- 
tis, a  professor  in  the  College,  were  wonderfully 
blessed.  President  John's,  and  his  noble,  sanctified. 
Christian  wife,  took  an  active  part  in  the  meetings. 

We  shall  never  know  here  on  earth  all  the  good 
that  was  accomplished  at  these  meetings.  Young 
men  were  called  to  the  minstry ;  more  than  one  hun- 
dred souls  were  converted  and  scores  of  the  College 
students  were  filled  with  the  spirit  for  work. 

Surely  the  Lord  called  us  to  this  work  among 
the  churches  and  to  go  everywhere  preaching  the 
word 

Huntington,  Indiana,  February,  1894. 

Huntington  is  quite  an  important  town  and  the 
coimty  seat.  Our  meetings  were  to  be  held  in  the 
M.  E.  Church.  Brother  F.  Brown,  pastor,  with  whom 
we  had  held  meetings  twice,  Mishawauka,  Indiana, 
and  once  at  Ft.  Wayne,  of  which  there  is  an  accoimt 
in  these  reminiscenses. 

The  house  was  a  large  and  beautiful  edifice,  and 
was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity  from  the  commence- 
ment of  the  meetings  and  soon  hundreds  were  turned 
away  for  want  of  room.  We  held  two  meetings  each 
day;  the  people  seemed  hungering  for  the  bread  of 
life  and  we  felt  that  the  Lord  was  with  us  and  that 
we  should  have  a  great  victory.  People  of  all  classes 
came  to  these  meetings. 

O !  it  is  Jesus  people  want,  what  the  world  can- 
not give— res^^  peace,  joy,  comfort,  assurance;  some 
one  who  loves  them  and  has  power  to  give  them  what 
they  need. 

We  can  only  give  note  and  occasional  incident 
of  these  continuous  meetings  we  held  at  different 
places,  so  much  alike  and  yet  so  different. 


Great  Meeting  for  Women.  481 

Many  railway  men  came  to  our  meetings  and 
as  we  presented  Jesus,  not  only  as  the  sinners'  friend 
to  save  them  from  their  sins,  but  as  a  friend  to  sym- 
pathize with  them  in  their  toils,  He  being  a  toiler 
himself,  and  without  a  home.  Scores  of  these  rough 
and  sinful  men  came  forward  for  prayers,  and  were 
saved.  They  sought  God  with  all  their  heart.  Gave 
up  their  cards,  emptied  their  pockets  of  tobacco 
(right  at  the  altar).  Esther  said  she  had  never  seen 
so  many  pieces  of  tobacco  and  pipes  thrown  away  as 
at  Huntington. 

One  great  strong  man  while  kneeling  in  prayer 
and  calling  on  the  Lord  to  pardon  him,  seemed  to  be 
struggling  to  get  his  hand  into  his  pocket,  for  the 
people  were  crowded  close  together.  He  withdrew 
his  hand  from  his  pocket  and  laid  a  large  piece  of 
tobacco  on  the  pulpit  platform  where  he  was  kneeling 
and  exclaimed,  *' There,  I  have  got  it,''  and  he  was 
soon  happy  in  the  Lord.  But  the  rich  and  fashion- 
able and  influential  came  as  did  the  others. 

One  day  Esther  had  a  meeting  in  the  large  au- 
dience room  for  women  and  at  the  same  time  I  had 
a  meeting  in  the  lecture  room  for  men.  Both  rooms 
were  well  crowded  and  it  appeared  that  the  glory  of 
the  Lord  filled  the  house  and  many  sinners  in  both 
meetings  were  saved.  While  the  Christians  were 
testifying  and  praising  the  Lord,  seekers  came  for- 
ward for  prayer  without  any  special  invitation,  and 
falling  down  on  their  knees,  cried  out  with  loud 
voices,  ''What  must  we  do  to  he  saved  f 

When  the  meetings  were  dismissed,  though  they 
had  held  three  hours,  the  people  were  unwilling  to 
go  home,  many  continued  in  prayer  and  in  song  with 
praise,  and  many  sinners  who  had  not  yet  found 
peace  were  converted.  Long  before  the  hour  ap- 
pointed for  meeting  the  house  would  be  fiilled  and 
there  was  ever  a  felt  sense  of  the  Divine  presence  in 


482  Power  of  the  Spirit, 

the  room.  The  wicked  who  came  and  did  not  yield 
to  be  saved  were  awed  into  silence  and  they  were 
dumb  in  the  presence  of  God,  as  they  saw  the  mighty 
works  that  He  did. 

A  woman,  a  moving  spirit  in  all  the  balls  and 
clubs  and  parties,  her  life  being  almost  wholly  given 
to  pleasure  seeking,  an  educated  tvoman,  her  father 
English  and  her  mother  Spanish,  she  was  aristocratic 
and  proud ;  her  father  was  a  Judge,  but  he  and  her 
mother  had  died  many  years  before  and  after  their 
death  she  said  she  would  never  love  any  one  again, 
and  she  was  bitter  in  her  heart  against  God,  and 
said  she  would  never  weep  any  more. 

This  woman  out  of  curiosity  came  to  hear  a 
Quaker  woman  preach,  she  being  a  high  Church 
Episcopalian  and  much  prejudiced  against  women 
preaching.  She  scorned  the  revival  meetings,  and 
despised  the  Methodist  Church.  After  being  at  the 
meeting  one  night  she  attended  the  *' Woman's  Club" 
and  when  asked  if  she  had  heard  the  Quaker  woman 
preach  she  said,  *'Yes,"  and  they  asked  her  if  she 
could  not  repeat  the  sermon,  and  in  burlesque,  as 
she  told  us  afterward,  she  repeated  Esther's  sermon 
and  then  said  to  the  women  present,  "Ladies,  I  am 
ashamed  of  myself." 

Soon  she  came  to  one  of  the  morning  meetings 
with  a  friend  and  Esther  asked  her  to  come  that 
night.  She  had  engaged  to  attend  a  ball  but  came  to 
the  meeting,  intending  to  remain  a  time  and  then 
go  to  the  ball,  but  became  so  much  interested  that  she 
forgot  the  ball  and  remained  at  the  meeting.  She 
soon  became  greatly  convicted  and  sought  a  private 
interview  with  Esther  and  wanted  to  know  if  there 
was  no  other  way  to  be  saved  than  to  give  up  her 
worldly  amusements.  And  when  told  she  must  sur- 
render all,  she  said,  "How  can  I."  She  had  played 
cards  until  she  said  her  fingers  tingled  when  she  saw 


The  Altar.  483 

a  deck  of  cards,  and  she  said  further,  ''Had  I  been 
a  man,  I  would  have  been  a  gambler. ' ' 

For  quite  a  time  she  resisted  conviction,  it  was 
a  terrible  struggle  for  her  proud,  sinful  nature  to 
humble  herself  and  kneel  among  the  sobbing  penit- 
ents at  the  altar,  and  publicly  confess  herself  a  sin- 
ner in  the  presence  of  her  ungodly  companions. 

But  she  learned  to  love  Esther,  and  one  night 
after  the  sermon,  and  Esther  had  been  pleading  with 
her  to  surrender  to  God,  and  told  her  she  must  now 
leave  her,  she  finally  said,  ''I  will  go,''  and  came  for- 
ward. At  the  same  time  a  fashionable  and  wordly 
companion  arose  and  hurriedly  started  to  the  altar 
and  as  she  went  forward  exclaimed  in  a  loud  voice, 
"God  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner."  They  were  both 
converted  finally.    She  was  a  miracle  of  grace. 

These  meetings  continued  from  February  17th 
until  March  9th,  the  influence  extending  until  the 
whole  city  was  filled,  so  that  the  meetings  became 
the  general  topic  of  conversation  and  for  many  miles 
out  in  the  country  the  power  was  felt. 

One  more  instance  might  be  mentioned  of  a 
woman,  a  member  of  the  church,  but  unsaved,  whose 
daughter  sang  in  the  choir.  This  woman  said  if  her 
daughter  could  not  dance  she  should  not  sing,  but 
one  morning  she  came  forward  and  confessed  her 
sins  and  was  gloriously  saved,  and  her  dancing 
daughter  was  converted.  Her  husband  and  nearly 
the  whole  family  found  the  Saviour,  and  there  was 
no  more  dancing  in  that  home. 

The  time  had  come  and  we  must  leave  Hunting- 
ton, still  the  work  of  the  Lord  did  not  abate.  So  great 
and  extensive  was  the  feeling  for  Salvation  among 
the  people  that  Brother  Brown  continued  the  meet- 
ings for  two  weeks  longer,  the  house  being  filled  to 
its  utmost  capacity  every  night,  and  sinners  con- 
verted at  every  meeting,  scores  of  them.    And  thus 


484  South  Bend,  Indiana, 

the  tide  of  spiritual  power  swept  on  and  absorbed 
the  mind  of  the  whole  community.  At  last  Brother 
Brown  was  compelled  to  attend  his  annual  confer- 
ence and  close  the  meetings  for  want  of  some  one  to 
lead  the  people.  This  was  the  Lord's  meeting  pre- 
eminently and  Pentecost  had  come  to  Huntington. 

It  will  be  noticed  by  the  reader  that  mention  is 
made  many  times  of  ''The  Altar"  and  of  ''The  Seek- 
ers' Bench"  in  these  reminiscences,  but  methods  are 
only  means,  and  we  have  never  believed  that  any 
particular  method  apart  from  surroundings  was  a 
necessity  in  our  work  of  bringing  people  to  Christ. 
We  only  use  them  as  helps,  under  the  leadings  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  and  a  sanctified  judgment. 

South  Bend,  Indiana,  March,  1894. 

From  Huntington  we  went  to  South  Bend,  In- 
diana, to  Grace  M.  E.  Church,  Brother  A.  A.  Gee, 
pastor.  He  was  an  elderly  man  with  a  wide  knowl- 
edge of  people  and  a  deep  religious  experience.  He 
was  full  of  faith  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  seemed 
like  one  of  the  *'01d  Prophets"  or  "Apostles,"  as 
he  moved  among  his  flock  with  such  manly  grace  and 
dignity,  and  yet  he  was  as  approachable  and  loving 
as  a  little  child,  but  wise  and  profound  as  a  philoso- 
pher. 

Dear,  precious  Brother  Gee,  how  we  loved  him, 
but  since  then  he  has  passed  through  ** morning's 
glory  gate  and  walks  in  Paradise." 

It  was  now  March  10th  and  many  of  the  church 
members  predicted  that  we  would  have  a  small  at- 
tendance, but  their  prophecy  failed,  as  the  house 
speedily  filled  and  soon  would  not  accommodate  the 
people  who  came  to  the  meetings. 

I  here  copy  part  of  a  report  from  the  Daily 
Tribune,  of  South  Bend: 


Created  Equal,  485 


''Grace  M.  E.  Church/' 

"Yesterday  was  a  great  day  at  the  revival  in 
the  Grace  M.  E.  Church.  You  will  get  no  report  of 
the  sermons.  No  one  could  report  them.  Many  were 
*  almost  persuaded,'  and  not  a  few  came  to  the  altar 
and  were  converted,  and  a  number  joined  the 
church. 

*'The  evangelists  announced  that  their  continu- 
ance here  is  uncertain,  that  depends  upon  the  church 
and  the  commimity.  If  the  church  does  her  whole 
duty  and  the  people  are  willing  and  anxious  to  be 
saved,  they  will  remain  while  the  interest  of  the  work 
and  success  indicates  the  Lord's  pleasure.  The  pas- 
tor advised  all  last  night  to  come,  as  the  people  of 
South  Bend  may  never  have  such  an  opportunity 
again.  The  indications  are  that  this  is  to  be  a  week 
of  great  power  in  the  meetings.  People  were  ex- 
horted by  the  pastor  to  come  to  the  morning  meet- 
ings, as  no  such  day  meetings  had  ever  been  held 
here  before,  meetings  of  such  wonderful  interest." 

''Man  and  Woman  Created  Equal/' 
Another  report  says: 

**The  meetings  at  Grace  M.  E.  Church  yester- 
day and  last  night  indicated  a  continued  increase  in 
the  interest,  the  attendance  being  very  large.  The 
character  of  the  meeting  was  unique.  At  a  very 
early  hour  the  house  was  filled  in  spite  of  the  rain. 
Evangelist  Frame  gave  a  very  able  argument  and 
sermon  on  the  *  Equality  of  Man  and  Woman,'  com- 
pletely exploding  the  *  weaker  vessel'  and  masculine 
superiority  notions  so  long  cherished  by  mankind. 

"She  had  always  been  eligible  to  the  prophetic 
and  ministerial  office.    His  positions  were  all  sup- 


486  Home  Again. 

ported  by  clearest  Scripture.  Mrs.  Frame  followed 
with  a  most  intensely  thrilling  account  of  her  con- 
version, call  to  the  ministry,  and  experience  in  the 
ministry,  which  w^as  listened  to  with  deepest  inter- 
est. Somehow  there  is  a  heart  power  in  her  minis- 
try seldom  witnessed  even  in  the  pulpit. 

"There  is  more  in  it  than  mere  ^Rhetoric*  and 
superior  eloquence.  All  feel  that  it  comes  from  a 
heart  of  the  purest  love,  wholly  on  fire  for  the  love 
of  souls.  No  wonder  that  under  such  preaching 
earnest  desire  for  salvation  is  being  sought  for  by 
her  hearers,  and  manifesting  itself  like  the  incom- 
ing waves  of  the  sea.  The  after  meeting  last  night 
was  one  of  great  power ;  many  remained  to  sing  and 
pray  with  the  multitude  of  seekers  who  thronged  the 
altar." 

These  meetings  continued  from  March  10th  un- 
til April  18th,  more  than  four  weeks,  with  two  pub- 
lic meetings  each  day.  During  this  time  more  than 
two  hundred  professed  conversion.  Some  of  these 
were  church  members  from  the  various  denomina- 
tions—Episcopalians, Baptists,  German  Reformed, 
Methodist  and  others. 

There  were  many  who  professed  to  receive  the 
blessing  of  a  clean  heart  and  the  baptism  with  the 
Holy  Spirit.  O!  how  marvelously  the  Lord  blesses 
those  who  put  their  trust  in  Him;  they  shall  be  as 
Mount  Zion,  they  shall  never  be  moved. 

When  we  see  the  greatness  of  the  work  to  be 
done,  and  the  multitudes  of  the  unsaved  that  are  go- 
ing down  to  the  pit,  we  could  wish  that  our  sun 
might  never  go  down,  or  that  we  might  have  the  life 
of  Methuselah  that  we  might  do  our  part. 

We  returned  home  from  South  Bend  and  re- 
mained there  until  we  could  get  the  little  home  in 
order  and  plant  our  garden  vegetables  and  have  them 


Eenssalaer,  Indiana,  487 

ready  for  the  summer ;  for  we  found  it  necessary  to 
economize  as  much  as  possible. 

Eenssalaer,  Indiana,  May  19th,  1894. 

On  May  19th  we  again  left  home  for  Rensalaer, 
Indiana.  We  had  now  been  almost  continually  hold- 
ing meetings  since  October,  1893,  more  than  seven 
months,  and  this  meeting  would  make  the  eighth. 
During  this  time  we  had  held  more  than  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  meetings,  and  more  than  one  thousand 
souls  had  been  converted,  and  the  churches  where 
we  had  labored  had  been  greatly  blessed  and 
strengthened.  We  remained  in  Eenssalaer  only 
about  two  weeks,  as  Esther  was  exceedingly  weary, 
and  had  taken  cold  and  suffered  much  with  neural- 
gia in  the  face  and  head. 

Our  meetings  were  owned  and  blessed  of  the 
Lord.  Brother  Utter  was  the  pastor  and  we  found 
him  a  most  lovable  man.  We  returned  home  to 
Jamestown,  Ohio,  and  made  preparations  to  go  to 
New  Mexico,  and  do  some  CA^angelistic  work  in 
Texas  along  the  Texas  and  Pacific  Railway.  On 
June  6th  we  started  from  our  home  in  Jamestown, 
Ohio,  via  Dayton,  to  St.  Louis,  to  Texarkana,  Texas, 
and  from  there  to  El  Paso,  Texas,  then  forty  miles 
up  the  Rio  Grande  to  Las  Cinices,  New  Mexico,  to 
see  our  daughter  and  son. 

Netv  Mexico  and  Texas,  June,  1894. 

No  one  knows  so  well  how  sweet  is  rest  but  those 
who  are  weary,  and  we  thanked  the  Lord  for  this  lit- 
tle time  of  cessation  from  work  had  come  to  us.  Our 
dear  son  and  daughter  had  planned  a  week  of  recre- 
ation for  us  at  the  "Organ  Mountains,''  twelve  miles 
from  Las  Cruces,  at  "Riley's  Ranch,"  and  we  occu- 


488  The  Rio  Grande. 

pied  the  little  pine  board  building  under  the  shadow 
of  two  great  rocks.  The  days  were  perfect,  with 
cerulean  skies  above  and  warm  sunshine  flooding  all 
the  mountains  and  the  plains  aroimd. 

The  Rio  Grande  could  be  seen  away  off  to  the 
west,  shining  like  a  silver  molten  mirror,  as  we 
traced  its  serpentine  course  until  it  was  lost  to  view 
in  the  distance. 

The  nights,  such  nights  for  sleep  and  rest,  not 
elsewhere  can  be  found.  The  cool,  sweet  mountain 
air  comes  down  as  the  curtains  of  the  night  fall  over 
the  doors  of  the  west,  and  all  the  nerves  are  stilled 
into  quietness. 

On  July  21st,  1894,  we  bade  farewell  to  our  prec- 
ious children  and  started  on  our  return  home,  in- 
tending to  hold  a  few  meetings  at  Odessa,  and  at 
Midland,  Texas,  as  there  were  a  few  Friends  at  each 
of  these  points.  As  we  had  a  few  hours  between 
trains  at  El  Paso,  we  went  over  to  the  south  side 
of  the  Rio  Grande,  to  the  old  town  of  Jaurez, 
to  visit  a  Mexican  prison  and  see  an  old  Spanish 
Roman  Catholic  church,  built  three  hundred  and 
seventy-five  years  ago. 

We  first  went  to  see  the  old  church;  the  walls 
built  of  Adobe  soil,  sun-dried,  and  appeared  to  be 
three  or  four  feet  thick  and  twenty  feet  from  floor 
to  ceiling;  the  joists  supporting  the  flat  roof  were 
pine  logs  ten  or  twelve  inches  in  diameter,  dressed 
smoothly,  and  hand  carved,  and  placed  about  two 
feet  apart,  the  intervening  spaces  covered  over  with 

Old  Church  and  Jail,  July,  1894. 

small  pieces  cut  from  saplings,  the  bark  having  been 
removed  when  the  sap  was  flowing ;  these  pieces  were 
laid  on  the  joist  diagonally,  each  alternate  row  be- 
ing reversed;  then  there  were  three  or  four  great 


Adobe  Church,  Jaukez,  Mexico,  375  Yeaes  Old. 


Mexican  Prison.  489 

hand-carved  braces,  the  carving  rude  to  be  sure ;  but 
the  braces  were  proportioned  to  the  immense  walls, 
and  seemed  to  give  a  kind  of  rude  grandeur  to  the 
old  seatless  room.  While  we  were  there  the  Mexican 
women,  a  number  of  them  came  in,  and  kneeled  on 
the  bare  floor  in  front  of  the  gilded  altar  and  de- 
voutly crossed  themselves,  and  said  their  prayers  to 
the  Mother  of  Christ,  and  soon  silently  retired. 

In  the  rear  of  this  old  house,  and  about  thirty 
feet  from  it  was  a  space  of  ground  enclosed  by  an 
adobe  wall  eight  or  ten  feet  high,  and  containing 
near  one-fourth  of  an  acre  of  ground ;  this  was  where 
the  bull  fights  took  place;  adjoining  this  was  the 
prison  for  criminals— also  enclosed  by  adobe  walls 
five  feet  thick,  and  about  fifteen  feet  high,  and  enclos- 
ing about  as  much  ground  as  that  where  the  bull 
fights  took  place.    There  were  four  uniformed  sol- 

Mexican  Prison,  July,  1894. 

diers  standing  in  front  of  the  narrow,  barred  gate 
that  admitted  us  into  the  prison  yard.  We  obtained 
permission  from  the  Chief  of  Police  to  visit  the 
prison.  As  we  advanced  to  the  gate  the  officer  in 
front,  the  guards  grounded  arms  and  stepped  aside, 
the  turnkey  swung  the  heavy  gate  open  and  we  passed 
in  between  the  sentries.  There  were  ninety  prisoners 
in  the  enclosure  and  in  the  cells. 

The  prisoners  were  a  forlorn  looking  company, 
dirt-begrimed,  careworn,  greasy,  ragged,  some  of 
them  almost  naked,  with  a  hopeless  expression  on 
their  swarthy-,  lean  faces;  there  were  near  sixty  of 
them  in  the  prison  yard  wandering  aimlessly  around, 
for  they  have  no  employment  furnished  them,  but 
they  were  under  the  continual  surveillance  of  the 
musketed  guards  who  stood  among  them ;  we  saw  no 
guards  on  the  walls. 


490 


Odessa,  Texas. 


There  were  two  or  three  closed  cells  with  pris- 
oners shut  in  that  we  were  not  allowed  to  see ;  also  the 
Chief  of  Police  informed  us  that  there  was  an  Amer- 
ican woman  a  prisoner,  and  we  must  not  talk  to  her. 
We  saw  her,  but  having  such  orders  did  not  speak  to 
her.    She  was  quite  a  good  looking  woman. 

The  cells,  all  but  those  closed  cells  mentioned 
above,  were  entirely  open,  fronting  the  prison  yard; 
they  were  eight  feet  wide,  twelve  feet  long,  and 
fifteen  feet  high,  the  adobe  walls  perfectly  bare,  and 
the  cells  without  any  seat,  bed  or  furnishings  of  any 
kind,  the  prisoners  sleeping  on  the  dirt  floor,  in  the 
vermin-filled  dust,  which  was  in  some  of  the  cells, 
several  inches  deep.  We  saw  some  of  the  prisoners 
in  these  cells  lying  on  the  floor  in  the  dust,  almost 
naked,  and  sick;  others  of  them  were  squatted,  or 
leaning  against  the  walls ;  they  were  truly  pictures  of 
wretchedness  and  misery. 

Odessa,  Texas,  July,  1894. 

The  prison,  with  its  inmates,  was  a  relic  of 
** Spanish  barbarity"  and  cruelty,  and  ignorance 
** perpetuated  by  the  Mexican  Government." 

But  we  cannot  linger  longer  in  the  old  Wharas 
jail  and  the  filthy  old  town.  We  were  glad  to  get 
back  under  the  flag  of  our  own  loved  country.  At 
three  o'clock  p.  m.  we  were  being  whirled  away  on 
the  Texas  Pacific  Railway  toward  the  little  town  of 
Odessa,  in  Central  Texas.  When  we  arrived  at 
Sierra-Blanca  we  learned  that  there  had  been  a  great 
rain  in  the  mountains  and  the  railroad  track  that  ran 
close  to  a  torrent  bed  had  been  washed  away  for  sev- 
eral miles  and  we  could  not  proceed  until  it  was  re-j 
paired. 

From  midnight  until  morning  our  train  lay  oi 
the  track  opposite  the  little  Mountain  Station  insid( 


The  Washout  491 

of  which  some  gay  Mexican  women  and  men  were 
having  music  and  dancing ;  in  the  opposite  direction, 
near  some  springs  of  water,  were  a  multitude  of  frogs 
that  had  been  awakened  from  their  slumbers  and 
were  holding  their  carnival  in  honor  of  the  recent 
rain. 

As  our  train  could  not  proceed  imtil  Monday 
morning,  we  were  taken  back  to  El  Paso  to  remain 
over  Sabbath.  We  arrived  at  Odessa  on  Tuesday 
and  found  our  dear  friends,  Charles  White  and  wife, 
at  the  little  station  waiting  to  receive  us.  They  took 
us  to  their  sweet  home  of  rest.  The  house  stood  on  an 
eminence  on  the  great  plain  that  stretches  from 
Manitoba  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  We  could  look  in 
every  direction  across  the  plains  until  the  horizon 
seemed  to  close  down  upon  it.  We  were  told  there 
were  not  more  than  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  peo- 
ple in  the  county,  and  fifty  of  them  lived  in  Odessa, 
the  rest  on  '* ranches"  from  five  to  twelve  miles  dis- 
tant from  each  other. 

This  great  plain  through  Texas  is  arid  and  only 
now  and  then  is  there  sufficient  rainfall  in  this  part 
of  the  State  for  ordinary  crops,  but  when  well  wa- 
tered the  soil  is  almost  inexhaustibly  fertile. 

Odessa  and  Midland,  Texas,  July,  1894. 

But  the  underdrain  lies  only  from  two  to  twenty 
feet  from  the  surface  and  one  good  wind-mill  will 
supply  sufficient  water  to  irrigate  five  acres  of 
ground.  The  native  grasses  and  alfalfa  grow  pretty 
well  without  irrigation,  but  the  small  grains  and 
most  of  the  vegetables  raised  in  the  Middle  and  West- 
em  States  must  be  irrigated ;  but  I  see  no  reason  why 
this  vast  domain  will  not  be  densely  populated  and 
become  an  immense  garden  for  small  fruits  and  vege- 
tables; we  need  not  go  to  California  for  luscious 


492  Bach  to  Ohio, 

fruits  and  grapes,  to  Georgia  for  melons,  or  New 
Jersey  for  peaches.  Central  Texas,  if  properly  cul- 
tivated, can  supply  the  market  for  one-half  of  the 
United  States. 

We  held  a  few  meetings  at  Odessa  and  then  went 
on  twelve  miles  to  Midland,  where  resided  our  dear 
friends.  Dr.  and  Elizabeth  Haughton.  They 
made  us  welcome  to  their  home  and  procured  the 
Methodist  meeting-house  for  us  and  we  held  three 
or  four  meetings  in  Midland  and  the  Lord  greatly 
blessed  our  ministry  to  these  hungry  Southern  peo- 
ple.   Their  hearts  were  open  to  receive  the  truth. 

So  at  the  end  of  a  few  days  we  bid  our  dear 
friends  farewell  and  started  on  our  journey  home, 
where  we  arrived  July  31st,  1894. 

Then  on  August  2nd  we  went  to  Loveland  Camp 
Meeting,  held  at  Epworth  Heights,  twenty  miles  out 
from  Cincinnati  on  the  B.  &  O.  and  P.  C.  &  St.  L. 
Railways.  We  had  promised  to  conduct  the  evangel- 
istic meetings  during  the  ten  days  continuance  of  the 
camp  meeting. 

Loveland  Camp  Meeting,  August,  1894. 

We  began  our  work  here  on  the  seventh  day  and 
continued  over  two  Sabbaths.  There  were  three 
meetings  each  day,  prayer  and  consecration  meeting 
at  eight  o'clock  a.  m.,  preaching  at  eleven  o'clock,  and 
the  regular  meeting  at  7:30  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

Esther  preached  nearly  every  night  and  we 
always  had  the  after  meetings  for  seekers. 

Both  days  on  the  Sabbath  there  were  immense 
throngs  of  people  in  attendance,  and  this  camp  meet- 
ing was  said  to  be  one  of  the  most  spiritual,  and  more 
people  converted  than  had  been  at  Loveland  for 
many  years. 


Loveland  Camp  Meeting,  493 

The  altar  was  crowded  with  seekers  almost  every 
night  after  the  first  Sabbath,  and  the  interest  in- 
creased so  that  on  the  last  Sabbath  night  there  was 
not  sufficient  room  at  the  altar  for  seekers,  and  it 
seemed  almost  impossible  to  close  the  meeting,  the 
meeting  continuing  long  into  the  night.  There  was 
so  great  an  interest  in  the  meetings  that  those  who 
had  them  in  charge  canvassed  the  subject  of  continu- 
ing them  another  week,  but  finally  decided  as  they 
had  only  planned  at  first  for  ten  days,  they  would 
adjourn. 

William  Rimy  an,  the  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  Chuch 
at  Jamesto^Ti,  was  superintendent  of  the  camp  meet- 
ing, and  gave  us  the  invitation  to  conduct  the  revival 
meetings.  We  had  a  good  room  in  a  cottage  and  were 
well  cared  for  by  Brother  Runyan.  He  was  a  brother 
beloved  in  the  Lord. 

We  next  attended  our  own  yearly  meeting  held 
at  Wilmington,  Ohio,  and  also  Indiana  Yearly  Meet- 
ing held  at  Richmond,  Indiana  soon  after.  Then 
went  home  to  Jamestown,  Ohio,  and  on  the  10th  of 
October,  1894,  started  to  Kansas  to  attend  the 
Friends  yearly  held  at  Lawrence,  Kansas. 

We  had  a  hearty  welcome  by  these  dear  Friends, 
a  most  blessed  meeting,  and  great  liberty  in  preach- 
ing the  Gospel. 

We  remained  in  Kansas  until  October  21st,  in- 
tending to  do  some  gospel  work,  but  Esther  had  been 
now  so  long  at  work  that  she  was  sick  for  some  days 
and  we  were  compelled  to  abandon  that  field  for  the 
time  and  return  home,  where  we  remained  for  one 
week. 

Ligonier,  Indiana,  October  2Sth,  1894. 

October  28th,  1894,  went  from  home  to  Ligonier, 
Northern  Indiana,  to  hold  a  series  of  meetings  in  the 


494  Ligonier,  Indiana, 

M.  E.  Church.  Brother  Beatty  was  the  pastor,  a 
most  excellent  Christian  man.  The  church  building 
was  old  and  the  membership  cold  and  formal,  many 
of  them  backslidden. 

Our  meetings  continued  here  for  three  weeks, 
two  meetings  each  day,  and  the  Lord  most  graciously 
blessed  our  work.  The  house  was  soon  filled 
and  many  people  came  who  were  not  churchgoers. 
All  kinds  of  people  attended,  and,  as  at  other  places, 
we  found  Satan  presenting  himself  among  the  sons 
of  God. 

One  man,  a  church  member,  with  his  wife,  came 
and  made  themselves  prominent  as  workers  in  the 
meetings,  but  we  soon  discovered  that  he  and  his  wife 
were  sinners  and  needed  salvation  themselves,  so  we 
silenced  them. 

From  this  time  the  power  of  the  Lord  was  greatly 
manifested ;  scores  of  sinners  came  forward  and  were 
converted  and  the  house  was  nightly  filled  to  over- 
flowing. 

A  very  remarkable  case  of  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Philip  Carr,  an  infidel  and  despiser  of  the  Christian 
religion,  and  who  took  delight  in  opposing  ministers, 
came  to  the  meetings  with  his  wife  and  sat  well  up  in 
the  front  pews.  He  was  a  cousin  of  President  Mc- 
Kinley  and  James  G.  Blaine.  He  continued  to  at- 
tend the  meetings  and  soon  came  under  great  convic- 
tion and  one  day  he  left  the  meeting  hurriedly.  Es- 
ther was  not  there  that  day,  having  remained  at  her 
place  of  entertainment,  as  she  was  not  well,  and  quite 
weary ;  we  had  a  good  meeting,  and  when  I  went  home 
I  foimd  Philip  Carr  there  on  his  knees  and  Esther 
praying  with  him ;  he  was  in  an  agony  of  distress,  but 
was  not  then  converted ;  but  at  the  night  meeting 
when  many  seekers  were  coming  forward,  Esther 
went  to  him  and  said,  **Now  is  thy  time !"  He  hesi- 
tated, but  she  persisted,  and  said,  "Now  is  thy  time  I 


Philip  Carr,  495 

Come  and  the  Lord  will  save  thee!''  And  soon  he 
knelt  among  the  penitents  and  cried  aloud  for  mercy, 
and  in  a  little  time  was  wonderfully  converted  and 
declared  publicly  that  he  knew  the  Lord  had  forgiven 
him  and  he  was  saved. 

A  night  or  two  before  his  conversion  Esther  had 
preached  a  sermon  that  convicted  him  and  he  had  de- 
clared he  would  never  come  to  the  meetings  again 
and  would  not  hear  that  woman  preach  any  more. 

There  were  more  than  one  hundred  converted  at 
Ligonier  and  Philip  Carr  became  one  of  the  most 
earnest,  consistent  and  useful  members  of  the  M.  E. 
Church.  Our  meetings  at  Ligonier  closed  about  No- 
vember 18th,  and  we  returned  home. 

Lebanon,  Indiana,  January,  1895. 

About  the  last  of  January,  1895,  we  went  to  Leb- 
anon, Indiana,  to  begin  a  series  of  meetings  with 
Brother  Kendig,  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  Our 
meetings  continued  here  two  weeks  with  good  suc- 
cess, though  we  found  opposition  to  preaching  the 
fullness  of  the  Gospel,  some  of  the  leading  church 
members  contending  that  it  was  impossible  to  be 
made  free  from  sin  and  continue  in  that  state. 

One  of  the  official  members  of  the  church  assailed 
Esther  at  the  close  of  one  of  the  meetings,  when  she 
had  preached  how  sinners  who  turn  from  their  sins 
should  be  received  by  the  church. 

There  was  a  poor  woman  who  had  been  led 
astray  by  an  ungodly  man  under  promise  of  mar- 
riage, and  he  had  deserted  her,  and  he  was  still  hon- 
ored in  social  circles  and  had  access  to  the  best  homes, 
while  the  poor  woman  was  treated  as  an  outcast. 

This  woman  had  reformed  and  been  converted 
and  the  best  people  in  the  community  testified  that 
for  several  years  she  had  lived  a  consistent,  Christian 


496  Lebanon,  Indiana, 

life,  but  she  had  still  been  shunned  by  many  of  the 
church  members  and  had  become  much  discouraged.. 
She  came  to  the  meetings  and  the  Lord  greatly 
blessed  her  and  we  encouraged  her  to  testify  of  the 
saving  power  of  the  dear  Lord,  which  she  did. 

Esther  had  said  in  her  sermon  if  all  the  men  who 
had  lived  unholy  lives  were  kept  away  from  the 
church  and  not  allowed  to  take  part  in  the  meetings 
when  they  were  saved  a  great  many  of  them  would  be 
left  out;  that  sin  m  sl  man  was  just  as  sinful,  and 
when  it  was  the  same  kind  should  be  condemned  in  the 
same  way,  and  that  she  would  stand  by  this  woman 
whom  Christ  had  received  just  the  same  as  she  would 
by  any  man  of  a  like  character. 

And  this  was  what  so  incensed  the  member  of  the 
official  board.  He  was  like  the  Pharisee  of  the  olden 
time  and  was  making  the  same  accusation,  ^^This 
woman  receiveth  sinners  and  eateth  with  them." 
The  Lord  have  mercy  on  such  Pharisees. 

The  Lord  wonderfully  blessed  the  meetings  and 
the  house  was  nightly  crowded  with  the  anxious 
throng  of  people,  many  of  them  sinners  and  seekers. 
One  whole  family— father  and  mother  and  seven  or 
eight  children,  were  converted  and  joined  the  M.  E. 
Church,  and  the  meetings  gave  promise  of  a  general 
revival.  A  number  had  been  converted,  but  one 
night,  after  we  had  come  from  meeting  and  retired, 
we  received  a  telegram  that  our  daughter  in  New 
Mexico  was  very  ill  and  for  her  mother  to  come  im- 
mediately. So  we  dressed  ourselves  at  once,  packed 
our  trunk  and  were  ready  in  an  hour  to  take  the  first 
train  to  Lafayette,  Indiana,  where  we  would  get  a 
through  train  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri.  We  arrived 
at  Lafayette  about  one  o'clock  at  night  and  would 
leave  for  Kansas  City  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing.   The  depots  were  three  or  four  blocks  apart,  so 


Our  Faith  Tested.  497 

we  sent  our  baggage  by  the  hack  and  we  walked,  as 
our  finances  were  low  and  the  journey  to  New  Mexico 
would  be  long  and  we  did  not  know  how  the  matter 
might  turn  out  with  our  dear  child. 

The  wind  was  blowing  with  great  force ;  a  blind- 
ing blizzard  was  coming  from  the  northwest,  filling 
the  deserted  streets  with  clouds  of  snow  and  ice- 
needles,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  we  made  our 
way  to  the  cheerless  depot,  where  we  waited  and 
prayed  for  the  coming  of  the  train.  The  time  seemed 
long,  but  at  last  we  were  off  on  the  long  journey,  the 
end  of  which  our  hearts  had  already  reached. 

Our  Sick  Daughter,  February,  1895. 

The  next  morning  at  seven  o'clock  we  reached 
Kansas  City  and  found  our  dear  friends,  John  and 
Margaret  Miles,  whom  we  had  telegraphed  to  meet  us, 
God  Ness  them  forever. 

They  took  us  to  a  restaurant  and  got  us  a  good 
breakfast,  accompanied  us  to  Topeka,  Kansas,  as- 
sisted us  in  getting  reduced  rates  to  Las  Cruces,  New 
Mexico,  saw  us  aboard  the  train,  and  with  a  loving 
farewell  and  *^God  bless  you"  bade  us  ''good-by." 
Oh,  these  friends  in  time  of  need!  Dear  brother  and 
sister,  we  can  never  cease  to  be  grateful  to  you  for 
your  manifested  love  for  us. 

We  found  our  daughter  in  a  very  critical  con- 
dition, but  by  careful  nursing  and  the  prayer  of 
faith  she  soon  began  to  get  better,  and  by  March  15th 
she  was  strong  enough  to  be  about  the  house  and  we 
felt  that  we  could  return  to  our  work.  So  once  more 
we  left  our  precious  children  in  their  little  adobe 
home  in  the  sunshine  land,  bid  farewell  to  the  shel- 
tered little  valley,  and  after  three  days  travel  arrived 
at  Degraff  in  time  for  meeting.    This  was  a  union 


498  Degraff,  Ohio. 

meeting  of  four  churches— Methodist,  Baptist,  Pres- 
byterian and  Evangelical.    We  were  met  at  the  train 

Begraff,  Ohio,  March,  1895. 

by  Brothers  Cook  and  Humler,  Methodist  and  Pres- 
byterian ministers,  and  it  seemed  all  the  boys  and 
girls  of  the  village  had  come  with  them.  We  were 
evidently  expected  and  curiosity  to  see  the  Quakers 
was  at  fever  heat. 

While  being  escorted  to  our  place  of  entertain- 
ment the  curious  throng  of  young  people  filled  the 
sidewalk  in  front  and  rear ;  they  were  quiet  and  re- 
spectful. 

Some  of  the  church  members  had  become  dis- 
heartened waiting  so  long,  but  it  was  evident  at  the 
first  night  *s  meeting  .that  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was 
among  the  people ;  the  large  Methodist  house  was 
well  filled  and  all  listened  with  quiet  attention;  we 
felt  sure  we  should  have  a  great  outpouring. 

Our  meetings  continued  three  weeks  and  convic- 
tion for  sin  spread  all  through  the  community.  Some 
of  the  ministers  were  timid  about  inviting  per- 
sons forward  for  prayer,  but  made  no  opposition,  as 
we  informed  them  we  often  used  this  means.  We 
confined  ourselves  to  no  particular  method,  but  used 
any  and  all  means  as  seemed  best  to  us  at  the  time, 
and  among  the  people  where  we  were  laboring. 

But  humanity  is  blind,  and  their  eyes  must  be 
opened  to  see,  and  they  must  be  awakened  from  their 
carnal  security  before  they  will  come  to  Christ. 

There  were  more  than  two  hundred  who  made 
profession  of  conversion  at  these  meetings.  The 
ministers,  church  members  and  people  of  the  town 
generally  urged  us  to  remain  and  continue  the  meet- 
ings. The  morning  we  left  Degraff  the  young  men, 
many  of  them  unconverted,  sent  us  word  that  if  we 


Pastor's  Invitation,  499 

would  stay  they  would  become  Christians,  and  about 
twenty  of  them  came  to  our  place  of  entertainment 
and  personally  pleaded  with  us  to  remain  another 
week,  but  we  were  already  advertised  to  commence  a 
meeting  at  Traverse  City,  Michigan,  and  had  only 
time  to  reach  there  by  starting  immediately. 

It  seemed  hard  to  turn  away  from  this  company 
of  young  men,  to  leave  the  longing,  hungry  multi- 
tudes of  the  unsaved,  whose  hearts  had  already  been 
moved  to  seek  Christ.  The  question  came  to  us  with 
almost  overwhelming  force,  will  they  ever  be  saved  ? 
Oh,  the  unutterable  longing  for  these  poor  sinners 
that  came  upon  us.  We  could  only  pray  that  the  good 
seed  sown  might  spring  up  and  bear  fruit  unto  eternal 
life. 

So  with  this  prayer  in  our  hearts  and  a  "God 
bless  you !"  from  our  lips,  we  bade  adieu  to  the  loving 
and  thronging  multitudes  of  all  classes  who  had  ac- 
companied us  to  the  train.  Oh,  these  partings !  Oh, 
these  heart  longings ! 

We  conclude  with  an  extract  from  the  letter  of 
invitation  to  hold  meetings  here : 

''Degraff,  Ohio,  December  14th,  1894. 
**  Nathan  T.  and  Esther  G.  Frame : 

''Dear  Brother  and  Sister :— At  a  meeting  of  our 
organization,  composed  of  the  four  pastors  and  their 
representatives  from  each  church  (ten  in  all),  we 
have  by  unanimous  vote  decided  to  invite  you  and 
your  wife  to  assist  us  as  churches  in  a  united  effort 
for  the  salvation  of  souls. 

'*In  writing  to  you,  we  guarantee  to  you  the 
earnest  support  of  the  four  pastors  and  their  repre- 
sented membership,  not  only  spiritually,  but  finan- 
cially, and  will  furnish  you  a  good  quiet  home.  It  is 
the  sense  of  the  organization  that  you  and  your  wife 
are  the  ones  called  of  God  to  bring  about  what  we  so 


500  Traverse  City,  Michigan, 

much  need  in  this  town.   The  pastors  are  consecrated 
and  all  isms  have  been  laid  aside. 

**We  would  like  you  to  come  at  the  earliest  time 
possible,  by  January  25th,  1895,  if  you  can  do  so.  The 
churches  represented  are  the  Methodist,  Baptist, 
Presbyterian  and  Evangelical.  We  wire  you  tonight 
and  trust  it  is  God's  will  for  you  to  come  among  us 
for  the  Master.    Yours  in  Christ, 

*'M.  E.  Sullivan,  Secretary." 

Traverse  City,  Michigan,  April,  1895. 

We  went  from  Degraff  to  Benton  Harbor  on 
Lake  Michigan,  was  detained  there  a  few  hours  wait- 
ing for  Michigan  Central  train  to  carry  us  to  Trav- 
erse City.  We  spent  the  time  in  looking  over  the  city, 
went  to  see  one  or  two  of  the  big  summer  hotels,  with 
wide  porches;  the  buildings  were  almost  tenantless, 
except  the  caretakers  who  were  waiting  for  the  sum- 
mer throng  of  pleasure  seekers  who  would  be  there 
in  a  few  months. 

The  weather  was  cold  and  the  lake  was  covered 
with  ice  and  snow  and  had  the  appearance  of  a  vast 
treeless  plain. 

In  the  gloaming  of  the  chilly  twilight  we  boarded 
the  train  and  next  morning  found  ourselves  being 
carried  northward  through  the  snowy  peninsula,  oc- 
casionally passing  clumps  of  great  pines,  mere  frag- 
ments of  the  grand  forests  that  once  covered  all  the 
land,  then  through  many  miles  of  a  long  wilderness 
of  stumps,  blackened  and  charred  by  fire,  and  stand- 
ing among  these  small  barkless  trees,  with  naked 
spine-like  limbs,  reminding  one  of  masts  of  sunken 
ships,  left  stranded  on  the  beach,  the  earth  seemed 
crying  over  the  desolation. 

Our  destination  was  Traverse  City,  Michigan. 
There  were  five  denominations  joined  in  these  meet- 


Greenville,  Michigan.  501 

ings  and  the  Methodist  house  was  chosen  as  the  place 
for  the  night  services,  it  being  the  largest. 

Denominational  lines  for  the  time  seemed  to  be 
forgotten,  and  pastors  and  people  seemed  to  be  one 
in  spirit.  Many  church  members  were  converted  and 
those  who  had  never  spoken  publicly  in  the  congre- 
gations gave  testimony  that  they  were  now  saved. 

The  house  was  nightly  thronged  and  the  whole 
city  was  stirred  by  a  mighty  spiritual  wave  and  hun- 
dreds were  converted. 

These  meetings  continued  with  increasing  in- 
terest until  the  20th  of  April.  To  give  detailed  ac- 
counts of  this  meeting  would  be  to  repeat  much  that 
has  been  said  before. 

Greenville,  Michigan,  April,  1895. 

Went  from  Traverse  City  to  Greenville,  Michi- 
gan. The  snows  of  winter  had  melted  away  and  the 
ice  had  been  broken  up  in  the  beautiful  bay  of  Tra- 
verse City;  the  lake  steamers  had  begun  to  come  in 
a  few  days  before  our  meetings  closed.  We  had  come 
in  the  cold  winter,  and  now  as  we  departed  the  warm 
sunshine  was  kissing  the  little  dark  buds  on  the  trees 
to  life,  and  tender  grass  was  greening  the  little  shel- 
tered valleys  among  the  hills. 

We  held  our  meetings  in  the  M.  E.  Church  at 
Greenville,  Brother  Davison,  pastor.  We  had  a  most 
lovely  home  and  the  best  of  entertainment  at  Mrs. 

.    She  was  a  beautiful  Christian  character. 

Our  meeting  here  only  continued  two  weeks.  The 
church  was  cold  and  formal,  lacking  the  life  and 
power  of  true  religion.  A  number  professed  con- 
version and  the  church  was  revived.  The  Lord  was 
among  the  people  and  if  we  could  have  remained 
longer  we  are  sure  that  hundreds  would  have  been 
converted.    As  showing  how  the  Lord  works,  I  copy 


502 


A  Lawyer's  Letter, 


a  letter  from  a  prominent  Lawyer,  addressed  to 
Esther.  He  attended  one  of  the  meetings  and  heard 
her  preach ;  he  lived  in  another  town. 

**Clute  &  Clute,  Attorneys  and  Counselors. 
"Ionia,  Michigan,  April  27, 1895. 
*'Rev.  Mrs.  Frame. 

"Dear  Madam:— I  heard  your  sermon  in  Green- 
ville last  evening  and  it  seemed  to  me  the  best,  most 
effective  effort  of  the  kind  I  have  ever  heard,  and  I 
am  now  past  sixty  years  of  age. 

"I  see  so  many  matters  that  I  am  inclined  to 
find  fault  with,  that  are  going  wrong,  that  I  feel 
under  an  obligation  to  praise,  what  goes  right,  to 
kind  of  balance  up  my  fault  finding  tendencies. 

"I  heard  you  all  through  with  interest,  the  last 
fifteen  mdnutes  was  just  simply  grand.  I  am  not 
a  church  member,  but  I  wish  you  the  utmost  success 
and  trust  you  may  convert  the  world. 

"What  we  may  call  public  conscience  is  hardened 
and  the  people  are  fast  retrograding  in  their  mad 
rush  after  wealth  and  notoriety. 

"Respectfully  yours, 

"Samuel  Clute.'' 

What  sinners  need  is  the  gospel  that  reaches  the 
witness  in  the  heart,  a  power  that  arouses  a  slumber- 
ing church  and  makes  them  aggressive  for  God. 


Anderson,  Indiana.  503 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Jamestown,  Ohio,  May,  1895. 

Since  August,  1894,  when  we  left  New  Mexico, 
we  had  been  aknost  constantly  in  meetings,  holding 
two  each  day. 

In  July  we  went  to  Anderson,  Indiana,  to  hold 
a  union  meeting  of  five  churches.  The  meetings  were 
held  in  a  mammoth  tent,  and  it  was  crowded  at  night 
from  the  beginning  of  the  series. 

We  continued  four  weeks.  There  were  six  de- 
nominations, with  their  pastors,  joined  in  these 
meetings:  Friends,  Methodist,  Presbji^erian,  Dis- 
ciples, Baptists  and  Church  of  God,  and  all  these 
ministers  were  most  cordial  in  their  support,  and 
constant  in  attendance.  Their  hearts  seemed  joined 
together  in  love  for  the  work. 

Anderson,  Indiana,  August,  1895. 

Following  are  two  little  notices  clipped  from  the 
Anderson  papers. 

*^The  Gospel  meetings  in  the  Great  Tabernacle 
at  Anderson  are  attracting  the  attention  of  large 
numbers  of  people.  It  is  a  meeting  managed  by  a 
combination  of  the  leading  churches  of  Anderson  and 
is  conducted  by  Reverends  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame 
both  ministers  of  the  Friends  Church. 

*'The  meetings  are  attended  every  night  by  from 
sixteen  himdred  to  two  thousand  people,  the  gospel 
is  being  preached  with  much  power,  and  a  wonder- 
ful flow  of  eloquence.  Last  Sabbath  the  great  au- 
diences had  the  rare  opportunity  of  hearing  two 
extraordinary    sermons    by    Esther    Frame.     Mrs. 


504  Wonderful  Meeting. 

Frame  has  few  equals  in  the  pulpit;  she  and  Rev. 
Nathan  Frame  are  Evangelists  of  great  eminence 
and  usefulness.  The  meetings  are  now  being  held 
at  ten  A.  M.,  and  seven  P.  M.  These  meetings  will 
continue  over  next  Sabbath.  Come  everybody  and 
hear  the  most  excellent  Bible  Readings  and  graphic 
expositions  of  Brother  Frame  in  the  morning,  and 
the  grand  sermons  of  Sister  Frame  in  the  evening.'' 
There  were  something  like  three  hundred  pro- 
fessed conversion.  We  mean  that  they  gave  clear 
testimony  by  word  that  they  had  forsaken  all  their 
sins  and  that  Jesus  Christ  had  freely  pardoned  them 
and  that  God's  Holy  Spirit  bore  witness  in  their 
own  heart  that  they  were  born  of  the  spirit. 

Women's  Meeting. 

On  Sabbath  afternoon,  during  the  series  of  meet- 
ings at  the  tent,  Esther  held  a  meeting  for  women 
and  girls  in  the  Methodist  Church.  The  large  au- 
dience room  was  crowded,  every  available  space 
being  occupied.  Many  of  the  leaders  of  fashionable 
society  were  there.  ''Dancers,"  *' Theater-goers," 
"Card  Players,"  and  those  who  devoted  their  time 
to  worldly  amusements  and  fashionable  follies.  It 
was  a  most  remarkable  meeting.  The  glory  of  the 
Lord  filled  the  room,  and  as  Esther  portrayed  the 
effect  of  these  fashionable  follies  and  sinful  amuse- 
ments and  gave  fact  and  incident,  illustrating  how 
hundreds  and  thousands  had  been  led  into  lives  of 
shame  and  ruin,  the  Holy  Spirit  carried  the  message 
to  the  hearts  of  that  great  audience  and  they  bowed 
their  heads  in  contrition ;  many  of  them  wept  as  the 
Spirit  of  God  carried  conviction  to  their  consciences. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  sermon  a  call  was  made 
for  all  who  would  give  their  influence  against  these 
worldly  amusements  to  rise  to  their  feet  and  the 


August,  1895.  505 

audience  arose  almost  in  mass.  Then  an  invitation 
was  given  for  any  who  desired  to  come  forward  for 
prayer  and  consecration  and  more  than  two  hundred 
came.  Eternity  can  only  reveal  the  blessed  results 
of  this  meeting. 

Jamestoivn,  Ohio,  August,  1895. 

Once  more  at  the  little  home,  tired  and  weary, 
we  wait  in  the  shadows  of  the  summer  night  and 
listen  to  the  katy-dids'  song,  and  the  chirping  of  the 
cricket ;  watch  the  shining  stars  that  sparkle  in  the 
beautiful  blue  sky,  turn  our  faces  to  the  sweet,  soft 
caresses  and  kisses  of  the  evening  wind,  as  we  sit  on 
the  little  porch  and  talk  of  the  days  gone  by,  when 
our  little  children  were  still  here,  and  little  feet  were 
running  in  and  out. 

Yearly  Meetings  came  next  and  we  attended  our 
own,  Wilmington,  then  Indiana  and  Western,  a  ten 
days'  session  of  each,  making  in  all  thirty  days. 
Then  again  at  Jamestown  preparing  for  the  next 
year's  work. 

We  had  a  beautiful  rest  in  the  grand  October 
days— a  rest  of  labor  it  is  true,  but  relaxation  from 
the  nervous  strain  of  meetings.  A  little  journey  in 
the  country  by-ways,  where 

**  Golden  rods  with  swinging  plumes 
Were  nodding  on  the  heaths  and  brooms.*' 

Elkhart,  Indiana,  November  26, 1895. 

The  warm,  sunny,  golden  days  of  October  soon 
vanished  and  on  the  23rd  of  November  we  went  with 
our  two  daughters  to  Chicago,  and  there  bade  fare- 
well to  our  precious  daughter,  Itasca  Wooton,  who 
was  on  the  way  home. 


506  Elkhart,  Indiana. 

In  the  evening  we  boarded  a  Lake  Shore  railway- 
train  for  Elkhart,  Indiana,  arriving  at  midnight, 
and  were  met  at  the  depot  by  Brother  J.  H.  Jackson, 
pastor  of  the  Trinity  M.  E.  Church.  We  held  our 
first  meeting  here  at  half  past  ten  Sabbath  morning. 
House  well  filled,  had  a  blessed  meeting  and  the  au- 
dience were  greatly  tendered  while  Esther  was 
preaching,  so  that  they  were  almost  all  brought  to 
tears. 

Esther  was  delicate  in  health,  constant  preaching 
and  overwork  made  her  very  nervous  and  she  was 
compelled  to  remain  in  her  room  most  of  the  time 
except  to  be  at  the  night  meeting.  I  took  charge  of 
the  day  meetings.  The  church  was  cold  and  many 
were  in  darkness  and  backslidden,  others  had  hatred 
in  their  hearts  toward  each  other  and  still  others, 
that  doctrine  of  devils,  called  "Spiritualism,"  while 
some  very  good  and  pious  people  had  withdrawn 
from  all  church  fellowship  and  had  fallen  into  that 
stupid  error  of  denouncing  all  organization  and  held 
a  little  meeting  of  spiritual  communion,  where  every- 
one was  a  law  unto  himself. 

But  we  found  a  nucleus,  who  were  walking 
with  God  in  white,  and  we  felt  that  with  these  and 
the  Lord  on  our  side  we  should  have  the  victory  over 
*^Satan." 

A  prominent  woman,  and  still  a  member  of  the 
church,  and  her  daughter,  had  embraced  that  delu- 
sion falsely  called  "Christian  Science."  They  came 
to  the  meetings,  were  led  to  see  their  error,  and  when 
opportunity  was  given,  came  forward  for  prayers 
and  with  penitence  and  tears,  made  their  confession 
and  cried  out  in  bitterness  of  spirit,  "O  Lord,  have 
mercy  on  us,  we  have  forsaken  the  right  way  and 
have  been  following  a  delusion." 

But  in  a  day  or  two  they  were  delivered  from 
this  error  and  restored  to  their  sweet  trust  in  Christ. 


Liberty,  Indiana,  507 

We  remained  at  Elkhart  three  weeks,  and  many- 
were  converted.    There  was  a  whole  family,  father, 
mother  and  children  saved;  the  son,  a  young  man, 
first  came  and  then  they  came,  seven  or  eight  of  them, 
and  we  had  the  privilege  of  dining  with  them  after- 
ward and  a  happier  family  I  think  we  have  never 
seen.    Everyone  of  them  converted  and  as  we  knelt 
around  that  family  altar  after  dinner,  it  seemed  that 
''Heaven  came  down  our  souls  to  greet. 
While  glory  crowned  the  mercy  seat." 
O !  This  blessed  work  of  soul  winning,  of  rescuing 
men  from  sin  and  bringing  them  to  Christ. 

Liberty,  Indiana,  January  27,  1896. 

We  remained  at  home  imtil  January  27th,  and 
then  went  to  Liberty,  Indiana,  the  county  town  of 
Union  County.  Perhaps  it  will  be  sufficient  for  this 
meeting  to  say  that  from  the  entrance  among  them 
the  Lord  was  with  us  in  power  and  both  day  and 
night  meetings  were  largely  attended,  and  sinners 
professed  conversion  at  almost  every  session  of  the 
meetings.  There  seemed  to  be  an  enthusiasm  that 
only  is  manifest  when  the  spirit  of  God  is  at  work. 

An  article,  clipped  from  the  Liberty  Herald,  will 
convey  the  sentiment  in  the  community. 

''The  Revival/' 

"Liberty,  Indiana,  February  13, 1896. 
"Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  are  pressing  right  on  in 
the  revival  work  at  the  M.  E.  Church,  and  a  glorious 
baptism  of  religious  feeling  is  the  result.  Under  the 
searching  theme  preaching  and  scriptural  lessons  of 
Mr.  Frame  and  the  eloquent  and  spiritual  preaching 
of  Mrs.  Frame,  a  wonderful  blessing  has  come  to 
believers  and  many  who  heretofore  have  been  sinful 


508  Eloquent  Sermons. 

and  unbelieving  are  now  walking  in  the  light  and 
liberty  of  the  Gospel  of  the  world's  Redeemer.  Some 
fifty  or  sixty  conversions  are  already  reported. 

"Mrs.  Frame's  sermons  are  wonderful  in  con- 
vincing power,  abounding  in  spiritual  truth,  logic, 
reason  and  common  sense.  Her  preaching  is  indis- 
cribable  in  its  sweetness  of  manner.  She  paints  the 
horrors  of  sin  in  words  that  burn  their  way  to  the 
very  marrow.  With  equal  force  and  beauty,  she 
tells  the  story  of  *  Jesus  and  His  love,'  and  peace  and 
joy  in  believing  in  one  who  is  mighty  to  save  all 
who  come  unto  Him. 

*' These  meetings,  day  and  night,  conducted  by 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  have  been  of  the  most  interest- 
ing nature,  and  the  teaching  and  influence  of  it  all 
has  been  most  beneficial  to  saint  and  sinner  alike. 

**  Whatever  may  be  said  of  the  methods  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Frame,  no  thinking  or  observing  person 
can  doubt  their  sincerity,  or  that  they  are  full  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  power.  Mrs.  Frame's  are  everyone  of 
the  most  earnest,  eloquent  and  convincing  character, 
and  Mr.  Frame's  are  no  less  so  and  his  applications 
of  holy  writ  to  conditions  in  this  community  are  per- 
tinent and  forceful. 

"None  will  ever  forget  the  sermons  of  Mrs. 
Frame  last  Thursday  and  Friday  nights  from  the 
texts,  *What  shall  it  profit  a  man  if  he  gain  the 
whole  world,  and  loose  his  own  soul?'  *He  that 
being  often  reproved  stiffeneth  his  neck  shall  sud- 
denly be  cut  off  and  that  without  remedy.' 
These  were  two  of  her  most  earnest  appeals  to  some 
of  her  hearers  who  seem  to  prefer  the  *  pleasures  of 
this  world  for  a  season'  rather  than  the  joys  of 
Christ's  free  salvation  for  all  eternity.  Saturday 
evening  was  a  most  beautiful  sermon  on  temperance, 
at  the  close  of  which  the  audience  were  asked  to  join 


Liberty,  Indiana.  509 

in  a  pledge  against  all  intoxicating  drinks,  and  use 
their  influence  against  the  liquor  traffic.  Only  a 
few  in  the  vast  audience  but  arose  to  join  in  the 
pledge. 

"Mrs.  Frame's  master  discourse  perhaps  was 
from  the  text,  ^If  a  man  die,  shall  he  live  again.  Yea 
man  giveth  up  the  ghost  and  where  is  he.'  Mrs. 
Frame  invested  this  most  precious  theme  of  immor- 
tality and  eternal  life  with  a  new  interest,  and  in  the 
light  of  scripture  truth  brought  to  every  Christian 
heart  in  her  audience  additional  testimony,  the  com- 
forting assurance  of  the  Saviour.  'In  my  Father's 
house  are  many  mansions,  if  it  were  not  so  I  would 
have  told  you;  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you.' 

"During  these  meetings  sixty-five  have  united 
with  the  Methodist  Church  and  over  one  hundred 
have  professed  conversion.  The  good  results  of  these 
meetings  will  last  through  eternity.  This  commun- 
ity, like  all  others,  needs  just  what  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Frame  are  preaching ;  the  power  and  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Its  acceptance  by  all  the  people  would  stop 
at  once  the  e\il  practices  that  blast  so  many  homes 
and  ruin  so  many  families  which  are  the  bane  and 
curse  of  Liberty  today.  May  the  glorious  work  go 
on  until  every  soul  is  saved  from  sin  and  all  eyil  is 
banished  from  our  midst. 

"Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  will  leave  tomorrow  for 
Winchester,  Indiana,  to  begin  a  series  of  meetings 
in  the  Friends  Church  there  and  the  heartfelt  prayers 
of  this  community  wiU  follow  them  in  their  work 
for  the  Lord." 

February  27,  1896,  commenced  a  series  of  meet- 
ings at  Winchester,  Indiana,  in  Friends  Meeting- 
house, Brother  Charles  Hiat  was  the  pastor. 

We  were  well  known  among  the  leading  friends 
at  Winchester,  having  held  meetings  there  more  than 
twenty  years  before,  and  when  there  was  no  Friends 


510  Winchester,  Indiana. 

meeting  in  the  town,  the  meeting  at  that  time  was 
held  at  White  River,  two  or  more  miles  in  the  comi- 

Winchester,  Randolph  County,  Indiana,  Feb,  1896. 

try.  Our  first  visit  to  Winchester  had  been  in  1871. 
We  had  held  some  meetings  in  the  Town  Hall,  visited 
some  families,  held  a  few  meetings  at  White  River 
and  Jericho,  and  held  a  short  series  of  meetings  with 
Frances  W.  Thomas  at  Union  City,  Indiana.  There 
are  many  Friends  meetings  near  Winchester. 

The  Friends  Meeting-house,  where  we  now  be- 
gan our  meetings,  would  comfortably  seat  five  hun- 
dred people,  and  the  attendance  was  large  both  night 
and  day.  We  had  great  liberty  in  preaching  the 
Gospel;  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  pervaded  the  town 
and  the  people  seemed  anxious  to  hear  the  Lord's 
message;  the  Lord  had  evidently  set  an  open  door 
before  us.  Sinners  came  forward  for  prayer  from 
the  commencement  of  the  meetings,  the  luke-warm 
were  revived  and  the  devoted  Christians  were  glad. 

In  the  course  of  the  second  week  there  developed 
some  opposition  to  the  work  from  a  company  of 
young  men  and  women  who  belonged  to  the  Campbel- 
lite  Church,  and  we  learned  that  they  were  causing 
controversy  in  the  meetings  by  distributing  their  lit- 
erature on  Water  Baptism,  and  with  their  argu- 
ments distracting  the  minds  of  some  of  our  young 
Friends  and  those  who  were  convicted  for  sin. 

Some  of  the  seekers  became  so  much  concerned 
about  the  subject  of  Water  Baptism  that  I  announced 
I  would  preach  a  sermon  on  Christian  or  ** Christ's 
Baptism."  The  meeting  house  was  densely  packed, 
every  available  space  filled  with  an  eager  throng  of 
people  to  hear  what  would  be  said,  as  the  Campbellite 
minister  had  just  closed  a  four  weeks'  series  of 
meetings  in  which  he  preached  that  Baptism  in 


Winchester,  Indiana,  511 

Water  by  immersion  was  the  only  way  to  be  saved. 
That  night  I  preached  the  Baptism  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  administered  by  called  ministers  of  the  Gos- 
pel, who  had  themselves  been  anointed  with  divine 
power,  and  that  the  Holy  Spirit  did  his  work  under 
the  preaching  of  the  word ;  and  that  this  was  Christ's 
Baptism.  We  had  no  more  trouble  with  the  Camp- 
bellites,  and  scores  of  penitents  came  forward  for 
prayer. 

The  interest  in  the  meetings  in  the  town  and 
surrounding  country  increased  each  day.  Many  of 
the  business  men  and  women  of  Winchester  were 
brought  under  conviction  for  Salvation,  came  and  in 
the  public  assembly  confessed  their  need  of  the  Sav- 
iour, gave  themselves  to  earnest  prayer  and  found 
peace  in  believing. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  lawyers  of  the  town, 
a  Mr.  Marsh,  attended  the  meetings  and  friends 
urged  him  to  come  forward  with  the  other  penitents 
for  prayer,  but  he  could  not  for  a  time  be  prevailed 
on  to  take  any  definite  step  until  finally  one  night  in 
the  after  meeting,  while  Esther  was  talking  to  him 
and  urging  the  necessity  of  immediate  surrender,  he 
consented  to  kneel  in  the  pew  where  he  was  sitting. 
Esther  prayed  most  earnestly  for  him,  and  at  the 
conclusion  of  her  prayer  he  cried  unto  the  Lord  in 
vocal  utterances,  saying,  ''Lord,  be  merciful  to  me, 
a  sinner, ' '  and  in  a  few  nights  afterward  he  was  con- 
verted and  he  and  his  wife  both  joined  the  church. 

Another  business  man,  a  nominal  professor,  and 
a  lifelong  member  of  the  Friends  Church,  and  one 
of  the  wealthiest  men  in  the  coimty,  gave  himself  to 
the  Lord  and  like  a  little  child  called  for  help,  and 
soon  found  that  peace  which  only  comes  to  those  who 
are  bom  of  the  spirit,  and  there  were  more  than  one 
hundred  and  fifty  made  profession  of  being  saved  at 
these  meetings.    The  spiritual  influence  and  power 


512  Winchester,  Indiana, 

was  felt  all  through  Winchester  Quarterly  Meeting. 
Winchester  Quarterly  Meeting  has  the  largest  mem- 
bership of  any  quarterly  meeting  in  the  Friends 
Church. 

Almost  a  month  after  the  close  of  our  series  of 
meetings,  Brother  Charles  Hiatt,  pastor  of  Friends 
Church  at  Winchester,  wrote  this  letter  addressed  to 
us:  "There  were  about  80  of  the  new  converts  at  our 
home  last  night,  though  the  weather  was  very  stormy 
and  we  had  a  very  profitable  time.  Mr.  Marsh  and 
his  wife,  and  the  Mormons  were  here,  and  many 
others  I  cannot  name. 

*'I  hope  you  may  feel  it  right  to  be  at  our  Quar- 
terly in  May.  Yours  in  Christ, 

"E.  C.  Hiatt." 

The  next  year  after  we  held  our  meetings  at 
Winchester,  Friends  erected  a  new  and  commodious 
Quarterly  Meetinghouse  there,  and  the  meeting  is  at 
this  time  (1899)  in  a  most  flourishing  condition. 

But  we  must  now  turn  away  from  this  most  in- 
teresting field.  Though  we  might  pause  to  remark, 
this  meeting  that  we  have  just  noticed  is  located  near 
the  place,  and  among  the  Friends  where  we  first  com- 
menced our  meetings  in  1869,  nearly  30  years  before. 

Great  changes  had  taken  place  in  that  time. 
Those  who  were  the  little  children  then  are  the  active 
young  men  and  women  now,  filling  the  places  of 
their  fathers  and  mothers  in  the  homes  and  meet- 
ings, most  of  them  with  credit  to  themselves  and  the 
meeting  that  they  attend.  We  found  a  warm  place 
in  their  hearts,  for  scores  of  them  had  been  converted 
at  our  former  meetings.  Following  is  an  article  from 
a  Winchester  paper : 

''Esther  G.  Frame." 

Such  a  personality  for  good  as  Esther  Frame 
merits  cannot  well  be  given  her.    But  taking  the  dis- 


Esther  Frame,  513 

course  of  Sunday  evening  as  a  fair  exhibit  of  the 
speaker's  powers,  we  note  the  following:  A  grace- 
ful and  not  studied  delivery,  with  no  attempts  at 
elocutionary  display. 

The  purity  of  her  voice  tones  are  remarkable 
considering  the  strain  to  which  seven  weeks  work 
and  the  poisoned  atmosphere  of  a  crowded  house  have 
subjected  it.  This  sustained  purity  argues  the  proper 
breathing,  since  there  are  no  signs  of  voice  change  to 
harshness,  not  to  say  hoarseness,  from  continuous 
use.  Her  voice  is  strongly  pathetic  at  times,  to  be 
pitched  as  well  when  necessary,  to  the  tones  of  warn- 
ing or  derision.  In  point  of  language,  she  is  skillful. 
Her  words  are  chosen  with  the  accuracy  laid  down  by 
the  Standard  authorities,  showing  a  training  in  dis- 
tinct articulation.  She  uses  the  rounded  period,  and 
climax  with  happy  effect  and  her  speech  not  infre- 
quently is  crisp  with  epigrammatic  f orcefulness.  She 
is  intellectual  and  cultured  and  very  persuasive  and 
logical,  yet  wins  rather  than  argues.  She  trusts  the 
Spirit  to  convince  of  sin,  righteousness  and  a  judg- 
ment to  come.  She  is  to  be  classed  as  an  orator  of  the 
first  rank,  and  the  church  of  which  she  is  a  member 
is,  at  it  ought  to  be,  proud  of  and  no  less  grateful,  that 
such  gifts  have  been  owned  and  called  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  the  work  and  office  of  the  ministry  to  which 
her  whole  being  is  manifestly  consecrated,  the  end 
of  whose  faith  is  the  Salvation  of  Souls. 

Her  coming  to  Winchester  with  that  of  her  hus- 
band, who  is  a  worthy  co-laborer  in  the  ministry,  may 
well  delight  in  her,  as  a  winner  of  thousands  of  souls 
to  Christ. 

W.  O.  Pearce, 
Pastor  M.  E.  Church. 

From  Winchester  we  went  home  for  a  few  days 
and  on  March  20th  went  to  South  Bend,  Indiana,  to 


514  Dowagiac,  Michigan. 

hold  some  meetings  again  with  Brother  A.  A.  Gee, 
that  Prince  in  Israel   who  was   one  of  God's  own 

Dowagiac,  Michigan, 

Our  next  and  last  appointment  for  the  Spring 
was  to  be  at  Dowagiac,  Michigan,  with  Brother  G.  C. 
Draper,  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  Church  at  that  place. 
Our  meetings  here  continued  until  the  first  of  May 
with  good  results.  Esther's  health  was  very- 
much  impaired  and  she  seemed  much  of  the 
time  as  one  on  the  border  land,  just  ready 
to  depart,  and  go  to  Him  she  had  served  so 
long  and  well.  Her  sermons  at  this  time 
seemed  to  me  marvels  of  sweetness,  pathos  and 
beauty,  as  if  she  poured  out  the  Divine  message,  as 
the  flowers  send  out  their  perfume,  but  it  was  evident 
that  we  must  turn  aside.  Esther  remained  in  her 
room  the  greater  part  of  the  time  while  we  were  at 
Dowagiac,  except  to  go  to  the  night  meetings  and 
two  or  three  times  to  ride  out  into  the  country  in  a 
buggy  with  me.  The  Spring  wild  flowers  in  the  wood 
were  just  beginning  to  bloom,  the  sweet  birds  had 
come  again  from  the  South  and  the  young  leaves 
were  clapping  their  hands  in  the  breeze,  as  we  turned 
our  faces  once  more  to  the  little  home  in  Jamestown, 
Ohio. 

November  5th,  1896,  we  left  Jamestown,  Ohio, 
to  attend  Baltimore  yearly  meeting  of  Friends,  ar- 
riving next  day  in  time  for  the  first  session.  This 
yearly  meeting  is  composed  of  some  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  of  the  city  of  Baltimore.  We  at- 
tended all  the  sessions  of  this  Yearly  Meeting  and 
had  liberty  in  preaching  the  gospel. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  yearly  meeting  some  of 
the  prominent  members  desired  us  to  hold  some 
meetings  in  their  meeting  house,  which  we  did. 


Baltimore  Friends.  515 


Baltimore,  Maryland,  November,  1896. 

I  copy  an  article  written  for  one  of  the  Balti- 
more papers  concerning  these  meetings. 


''The  Friends/' 

Evangelists  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame,  of 
Jamestown,  Ohio,  have  been  holding  a  series  of  gos- 
pel meetings  at  Friends  Church,  corner  of  Monu- 
ment and  Eutaw  streets,  for  the  past  week.  They 
have  been  engaged  in  evangelistic  work  with  great 
success  for  many  years,  not  only  among  Friends,  but 
among  all  the  Protestant  churches,  and  many  thou- 
sands have  been  converted  and  joined  the  churches 
through  their  ministry.  Their  preaching  is  direct, 
simple,  earnest  and  logical,  and  often  eloquent,  and 
ever  in  the  demonstration  of  the  spirit  and  with 
power. 

No  one  can  enter  into  the  charmed  circle  of  de- 
voted worshipers,  where  night  after  night  the  crowds 
of  people  gather  to  listen  to  these  devoted  ministers, 
but  realize  they  have  been  drawn  nearer  to  God. 

On  Sabbath  at  eleven  o'clock  it  was  our  privi- 
lege to  listen  to  the  sermon  by  Mrs.  Esther  Frame 
from  James  2nd  and  25th. 

*'But  whoso  looketh  into  the  perfect  law  of  lib- 
erty and  continueth  therein ;  he  being  not  a  forgetful 
hearer,  but  a  doer  of  the  work;  this  man  shall  be 
blessed  in  his  deed." 

After  a  very  impressive  silence  and  a  short, 
earnest  prayer,  Mrs.  Frame  arose  and  announced 
her  text  in  a  clear,  soft  voice,  and  said  in  her  opening 
comment,  *'I  am  more  and  more  convinced  as  I  study 


516  John  and  Mary  Nicholson, 

the  Holy  Scriptures  that  the  Bible  is  a  proposition 
book  from  God. ' ' 

But  space  will  not  allow  even  a  synopsis  of  this 
most  remarkable  and  eloquent  sermon  by  this  modest 
Quaker  woman.  She  held  her  audience  entranced 
from  the  time  she  commenced  speaking,  until  the 
closing  sentence,  which  seemed  like  heaven's  bene- 
diction on  her  audience,  whose  eyes  at  times  were 
moistened  with  tears,  and  again  illuminated  with  joy. 

The  sermon  was  followed  with  prayer  by  Mr. 
Frame,  and  then  an  after  meeting  was  held  in  which 
there  were  many  inquirers." 

We  had  a  most  delightful  home  with  our  dear 
friends,  John  and  Mary  Nicholson,  who  gave  us  a 
most  hearty  welcome  on  our  arrival,  and  the  best  of 
attention  and  loving  care  while  we  remained,  and 
sought  by  every  means  to  assist  us  in  our  work.  God 
bless  these  dear  heart  Friends. 

Baltimore  Friends  not  only  received  us  lovingly 
and  opened  the  way  for  our  service  among  them,  but 
properly  supplied  as  far  as  they  knew  our  temporal 
necessities,  and  when  our  mission  for  the  Lord  and 
Master  was  finished,  sent  us  on  our  way  rejoicing. 

These  meetings  continued  for  about  ten  days  and 
were  much  blessed  of  the  Lord.  This  was  our  last 
work  during  the  year  1896.  We  returned  home  and 
spent  the  month  of  December  resting  a  little  and  pre- 
paring for  the  winter  work.  We  had  promised  some 
series  of  meetings  in  the  state  of  Lidiana. 

Our  first  meeting  in  1897  was  held  in  the  M.  E. 
church  at  Rushville,  Indiana.  C.  W.  Tinsley  was  the 
pastor. 


Rushville,  Indiana.  517 

BusJiville,  Indiana,  January  Zd,  1897. 

The  meeting-house  is  a  good  brick  structure  and 
conveniently  seats  six  or  seven  hundred  people. 

*'Worldliness,"  ''dancing,"  social  card  parties, 
horse  racing  and  popular  amusements  had  made  the 
church  powerless  to  vitalize  the  community  and  bring 
souls  to  Christ,  yet  the  Lord  had  a  remnant  of  Godly 
people  who  had  not  defiled  their  garments.  It  was 
the  feiv,  among  the  many,  but  we  cried  in  the  face  of 
the  foe,  "The  sword  of  the  Lord  and  of  Gideon." 

Many  of  the  membership  objected  to  having  per- 
sonal tests  put  to  them,  and  they  did  not  want  us  to 
use  the  seekers*  bench  or  denominate  sin,  or  preach 
a  place  of  punishment  for  the  wicked  after  death 
where  the  finally  impenitent  should  be  in  torment. 

But  Brother  Tinsley  stood  by  us  with  courage 
and  told  his  people  and  the  public  that  he  knew  us 
and  our  methods  of  work  and  what  we  taught  and 
that  he  would  indorse  all  that  we  did. 

Many  of  the  leading  members  of  the  church  had 
card  and  dancing  parties  and  many  of  the  citizens 
were  financially  wrecked  from  the  fast  horse  racing 
and  gambling  associations.  Envy  and  malice  and 
party  feeling  and  strife  had  crept  into  the  church. 
The  old  time  class  meetings  were  a  thing  of  the  past, 
and  the  church  seemed  like  Mt.  Gilboa  where  there  is 
neither  dew  nor  rain  nor  fields  of  offering.  But  the 
Lord  of  hosts  came  to  our  aid  in  power  and  glory  and 
scattered  the  hosts  of  Satan  and  gave  a  glorious  vic- 
tory. The  superintendent  of  the  city  schools  was 
converted  and  one  of  the  professors  in  the  high 
school  and  some  business  men,  two  physicians  and 
scores  of  others;  and  the  people  said  there  had  not 


518  Old  Fashioned  Gospel. 

been  such  a  spiritual  revival  in  Rushville  for  twenty 
years. 

More  than  one  hundred  were  either  converted  or 
reclaimed  and  nearly  as  many  joined  the  M.  E. 
Church.  A  debt  that  had  been  on  the  meeting  house 
for  many  years  was  paid  off  and  class  meetings  were 
reorganized. 

A  little  note  from  the  Indianapolis  Journal  fol- 
lows : 

(Special  to  the  Indianapolis  Journal.) 

Nathan  and  Esther  Frame  Triumph  Over  Rushville 

Sinners. 

Eushville,  Ind.,  Feb.  1.— Nathan  and  Esther 
Frame,  Quaker  evangelists,  have  just  concluded  a 
series  of  revival  meetings  here  in  the  M.  E.  Church. 
They  were  called  here  by  the  pastor,  Rev.  C.  W.  Tins- 
ley,  four  weeks  ago,  and  found  the  church  and  com- 
munity very  fond  of  what  are  known  as  popular 
amusement.  The  evangelists  preached  old-fashioned 
gospel  and  did  not  spare  the  sinners.  They  especially 
denoimced  all  entangling  alliances  between  the 
church  and  the  world,  such  as  cards,  theatres,  danc- 
ing, wine  suppers  and  horse  racing.  This  created 
considerable  opposition  in  this  merry  city  both  with- 
out and  within  the  church.  Each  service  the  battle 
waxed  hotter.  The  town  became  stirred  as  it  has  not 
been  for  years.  Mr.  Alexander  Campbell  rented  a 
hall  and  eloquently  denounced  the  evangelists  and 
their  teaching.  The  Quakers  preached  to  increased 
audiences,  however,  and  finally  the  tide  turned  in 
their  favor.  As  a  result  many  in  the  church  burned 
their  cards  and  conversions  occurred  at  each  meeting 
imtil  about   seventy-five  have  professed  conversion 


Nathan  T.  Fra^ie,  1900. 


Esther  G.  Fka.mk,  1900. 


i 


Fowler,  Indiana.  519 

and  many  have  united  with  the  church.  Mrs. 
Frame  is  a  brilliant  and  persuasive  preacher  and 
even  society  people  here  now  regret  her  departure. 
The  good  influence  of  this  meeting  will  be  felt  for 
years.  One  inmiediate  result  is  the  payment  of  an 
old  church  debt  of  long  standing.  The  Quakers  and 
the  pastor  feel  that  the  church  has  scored  a  decided 
victory. 

A  Mrs.  Carrie  Stevens,  a  society  woman  and 
a  prominent  member  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  came 
imder  deep  conviction  for  sin  and  burned  her  cards 
and  became  an  earnest  seeker.  For  a  time  we  were 
her  guests.  One  night  after  we  had  all  returned 
home  and  the  clock  had  reached  almost  the  midnight 
hour,  Mrs.  Stevens  came  running  into  Esther's  room 
and  said :  ' '  Oh,  Mrs.  Frame !  are  you  awake  ?  I  am 
such  a  sinner— pray  for  me ;  and  kneeling  by  Esther's 
bedside,  she  gave  herself  up  to  God,  and  while  Esther 
prayed  for  her  she  was  wonderfully  converted  and 
has  remained  a  devoted  and  happy  Christian. 

We  returned  home  from  Rushville  on  account  of 
Esther's  health. 

Fowler,  Benton  County,  Indiana,  January  ISth,  1897. 

Our  next  appointment  was  at  Fowler,  Benton 
County,  Indiana.  Here  we  began  a  series  of  meet- 
ings in  the  M.  E.  Church  on  January  18th,  1897,  our 
dear  friend  and  brother  in  Christ,  A.  A.  Gee,  being 
pastor.  The  church  was  cold  and  dead  spiritually 
and  the  membership  divided  into  factions;  enmity, 
hatred  and  strife  and  evil  speaking  was  causing  con- 
fusion and  every  evil  work. 

It  was  a  cloudy  and  dark  condition  in  the  M.  E. 
Church.  Some  of  the  members  would  not  speak  to 
each  other  and  a  number  of  the  prominent  ones  had 
left  off  their  attendance  of  meetings  entirely.    We 


520  Foivler,  Indiana, 

found  also  the  other  churches  were  in  no  better  con- 
dition than  the  M.  E.  Church.  The  moneyed  power 
in  and  around  the  beautiful  town  was  largely  in  the 
hands  of  sinners  who  were  using  all  their  energies  to 
increase  their  gains  regardless  of  the  highest  inter- 
ests of  the  people. 

We  were  once  more  brought  face  to  face  with  the 
fact  that  we  must  lift  up  the  voice  like  a  trumpet,  cry 
aloud  and  show  the  people  their  sins  and  the  house  of 
Jacob  their  transgressions.  At  such  times  and  under 
such  conditions  the  word  of  God,  which  is  the  sword 
of  the  spirit,  must  be  unsheathed  and  used  by  the 
faithful  servant  of  the  Lord.  There  must  be  a  John 
the  Baptist  to  cry,  ' '  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord 
and  make  his  paths  straight."  Bring  forth  fruits 
that  evidence  repentance;  so  we  told  them  of 
their  sins  and  transgressions,  and  that  they  must 
repent  and  confess  them  and  become  reconciled 
to  each  other  before  they  could  expect  sinners  to  be 
converted.  Many  of  them  came  to  the  meetings  who 
had  not  attended,  made  their  confessions  and  asked 
pardon  of  those  whom  they  had  wronged. 

In  one  of  the  morning  meetings,  when  the  power 
of  the  Lord  was  greatly  on  the  meeting,  a  prominent 
woman  and  member  of  the  church,  went  hurriedly 
out  of  the  house  and  in  a  short  time  returned,  and  as 
the  meeting  was  a  conference  meeting,  she  soon  arose 
and  said:  ''Well,  friends,  I  have  made  it  all  right. 
I  have  said  hard  and  wrong  things  about  two  of  my 
sisters  in  the  church  and  I  went  out  of  the  meeting 
to  see  them  and  ask  their  forgiveness,  and  now  it  iSj 
all  right  and  the  Lord  has  wonderfuly  blessed  me,J 
and  I  am  saved." 

A  number  of  others  made  similar  confessions;^ 
before  they  came  to  meeting  they  had  been  around! 
among    their   brothers    and    sisters    settling    their  j 


Confess  Their  Sins.  521 

grudges  and  differences,  and  the  Lord  gave  us  a  most 
bl^.ssed  meeting  that  day. 

Soon  sinners  began  to  come  to  the  seekers^  bench 
and  were  converted.  The  yoimg  people,  many  of 
them  attending  the  high  school,  were  saved  and 
joined  the  church;  and  from  this  time  on  while  the 
meetings  continued,  conviction  for  sin  seized  on 
many  of  the  ungodly  and  the  meetings  became  the 
common  topic  of  conversation  in  the  town  and  com- 
munity. 

One  very  wicked  young  man  who  was  a  disciple 
of  the  noted  skeptic,  R.  G.  IngersoU,  was  converted 
and  made  a  public  renunciation  of  his  infidelity.  A 
prominent  grocery  man  said:  *' These  meetings  are 
doing  more  good  than  some  people  think,  for  I  have 
received  two  letters  with  money  in  them,  the  parties 
saying  they  had  wronged  me  out  of  the  money  they 
returned." 

In  one  of  the  night  meetings,  when  the  house  was 
crowded  with  people  and  request  was  made  for  all  the 
members  of  the  church  to  stand  up  who  had  gotten 
clear  of  their  malice  and  bitterness,  as  many  as 
twenty-five  arose  and  declared  the  Lord  had  given 
them  hearts  of  love  for  each  other. 

Fowler,  Indiana,  1897. 

Two  prominent  women  members  of  the  church, 
and  both  high  school  graduates,  and  who  had  not 
spoken  to  each  other  for  some  years,  met  in  one  of  the 
meetings,  embraced,  and  were  reconciled  and  saved, 
and  both  gave  joyful  testimony  in  the  public  assem- 
bly. A  local  minister  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  who  had 
not  attended  his  meeting  for  two  years,  came  and 
confessed  to  the  Lord  and  began  anew  his  gospel 
work.  It  was  truly  a  time  of  refreshing  from  the 
presence  of  the    Lord;    the    crooked    places    were 


522  Jeffersonville,  Indiana. 

made  straight,  and  instead  of  the  thorn  came  up  the 
myrtle  tree  and  gladness  and  joy  filled  the  hearts  of 
the  people. 

Dear  Brother  Gee,  with  whom  we  had  held  three 
series  of  meetings,  declared  his  cup  was  running  over. 

We  close  this  sketch  of  our  work  at  Fowler  by 
copying  a  little  notice  of  the  meetings  from  one  of 
the  town  papers : 

^^ Revival  Meetings. 

*'The  meetings  at  the  M.  E.  Church  have  now 
been  continued  four  weeks;  the  roads  have  been 
almost  impassable  and  the  weather  unfavorable,  and 
yet  the  gatherings  have  been  very  large.  Many  even- 
ings both  rooms  of  the  church  were  crowded;  even 
when  there  was  a  downpour  of  rain  the  people  filled 
the  house  manifesting  their  interest  in  the  work. 
There  has  indeed  been  a  great  awakening.  More 
than  one  hundred  have  professed  conversion  and 
more  than  half  that  number  have  joined  the  M.  E. 
Church.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  have  labored  earnestly 
and  efficiently  for  the  Master  and  the  members  of  the 
church  who  had  become  indifferent  have  been  filled 
with  the  spirit  and  gone  to  work. 

*'Mrs.  Frame's  sermons  have  been  full  of 
thought  and  persuasion  and  spiritual  power  and 
many  have  been  made  to  say,  if  her's  is  a  sample  of 
women's  preaching  many  more  should  be  engaged  in 
spreading  the  gospel." 

Jeffersonville,  Indiana,  1897. 

We  went  from  Fowler  to  Jeffersonville  to  Wall 
Street  M.  E.  Church,  Brother  Charles  W.  Tinsley 
being  pastor.  We  made  our  home  with  them,  and 
truly  it  was  ^^A  Saint's  Rest.''    The  Lord  reward 


[Wall  St  M.  E.  Church.  523 

them  for  their  kind  care  and  sweet  love  bestowed, 
and  especially  for  their  great  sympathy  for  my  dear 
tired  Esther. 

We  remained  here  only  a  little  more  than  two 
weeks.  This  church  is  an  old  conservative  church. 
The  town  of  Jeffersonville  stands  on  the  west  bank  of 
the  Ohio  River,  across  from  Louisville,  Kentucky. 
Our  meetings  here  were  well  attended  from  the  first. 

To  us  it  is  an  humbling  thought  that  our  Lord 
and  Master  has  so  wonderfiilly  blessed  our  work  and 
so  many  thousands  have  been  converted  and  so  many 
Christians  have  been  led  into  a  higher  life.  If  Christ 
is  for  us  he  is  more  than  all  they  who  can  be  against 
us. 

At  these  meetings  there  was  one  of  the  teachers 
in  the  high  school,  a  brilliant  woman  and  prominent 
member  of  the  Methodist  church  and  belonging  to  an 
aristocratic  family,  and  she  was  very  much  preju- 
diced against  an  altar  of  prayer;  she  became  con- 
vinced that  worldly  pride  was  in  her  way  and  that 
she  needed  and  must  have  heart  cleansing.  She  came 
forward  humbly,  knelt  and  confessed  her  need  and 
was  filled  with  the  spirit  and  her  cup  ran  over.  The 
Lord  gave  her  gospel  measure. 

We  here  again  copy  a  little  notice  from  one  of 
the  daily  papers,  without  giving  further  account  of 
the  meetings,  that  the  reader  of  these  reminiscences 
may  know  in  what  estimation  the  meetings  were  held 
by  the  public  and  press : 

''At  Wall  Street  M.  E.  Church. 

**  Perhaps  the  most  interesting  service  now  be- 
ing conducted  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  the  evangel- 
ists, was  held  last  evening.  The  meeting  opened  by 
some  spiritual  singing  by  the  choir,  followed  by 
earnest  prayer.    Mr.  Frame  then  read  a  scripture 


524  Jeffersonville,  Indiana. 

lesson  and  made  a  few  appropriate  remarks  and  com- 
ments with  regard  to  what  the  scriptures  declare  con- 
cerning 'women  preaching. *  Then  Mrs.  Frame  intro- 
duced as  her  subject  her  Christian  experience  and 
call  to  the  ministry. 

"It  was  a  thrilling  and  marvelous  story  and  the 
audience  gave  the  closest  attention,  at  times  being 
moved  to  tears  by  the  recital  of  some  pathetic  story 
or  the  description  of  some  wonderful  experience 
through  which  she  had  passed. 

"Her's  has  certainly  been  a  most  marvelous  expe- 
rience and  her  work  has  been  greatly  honored  of  God, 
they  having  seen  twenty  thousand  converted  at  their 
meetings  during  a  ministry  of  twenty-five  years. 

*'The  narration  lasted  for  more  than  an  hour, 
but  no  one  seemed  conscious  of  the  time,  so  great  was 
the  interest  manifested.  At  the  conclusion  of  her 
wonderful  discourse,  Mrs.  Frame  made  a  very  touch- 
ing appeal  to  the  unsaved,  coming  out  into  the  audi- 
ence to  plead  for  souls ;  a  number  went  forward  and 
were  happily  blessed.  The  meetings  are  growing  in 
interest  and  power  and  there  is  a  great  awakening 
among  the  people.'' 

Another  notice  says : 

''At  Wall  Street. 

*' Easter  was  observed  by  the  Sabbath  School. 
The  decorations  were  limited  because  of  the  immense 
audience,  on  account  of  the  revival.  At  night  the 
crowd  that  greeted  the  evangelists  was  so  great  that 
the  side  aisles  and  the  space  in  front  of  the  pulpit 
were  filled  with  chairs  and  many  were  turned  away 
for  want  of  room.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  will  close 
their  meetings  on  Tuesday  evening  and  leave  for 
their  home  on  Wednesday  morning.    Their  labor  has 


Cross  Bridges,  Tennessee,  525 

been  of  great  service  to  the  church,  and  also  to  other 
churches.  Mr.  Frame's  Bible  readings  are  theme 
sermons  and  showed  a  practical  knowledge  of  the 
Scriptures ;  he  is  a  man  of  great  energy  and  practical 
sense  and  is  ever  on  the  alert  for  souls. 

**Mrs.  Frame's  grace  and  sweetness  of  spirit 
was  very  attractive.  Her  imagination  is  something 
marvelous  and  her  great  experience  in  divine  things 
enables  her  to  lead  believers  into  the  deep  things  of 
God." 

We  returned  home  and  remained  until  the  latter 
part  of  the  seventh  month;  Esther  was  very  weary 
and  much  prostrated  with  our  long,  continued  work. 

August,  1897,  Various  Meetings. 

In  August  we  went  South  to  hold  some  meetings 
in  Maury  County,  Tennessee.  We  stopped  at  Colum- 
bia and  remained  one  night  and  held  one  meeting,  a 
most  blessed  outpouring  of  the  Spirit,  and  a  time  of 
refreshing,  many  people  being  present  who  had  been 
converted  at  our  meetings  when  we  were  here  before. 

We  went  from  Columbia  to  Ashwood,  the  home 
of  our  dear  friend  Josiah  Clawson,  for  a  few  days 
rest. 

Ashwood  and  Cross  Bridges,  Tennessee,  1897. 

We  were  earnestly  solicited  to  hold  a  series  of 
meetings  at  Cross  Bridges,  ten  miles  west  of  Colum- 
bia. There  was  much  prejudice  against  a  woman 
preaching  and  on  that  account  it  was  doubtful  if  a 
meeting  house  could  be  obtained.  But  one  of  the 
elders  and  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  were  con- 
sulted and  they  finally  agreed  that  we  might  have 
the  Baptist  meeting  house. 

We  sent  our  baggage  to  Cross  Bridges  by  the 
hackman,  had  a  meeting  announced  for  7:30  o'clock 


526  Esther,  Very  Sick. 

p.  m.  The  house  was  well  filled  and  we  had  a  good 
meeting ;  then  we  rode  back  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stevens, 
five  miles.  About  the  time  our  meeting  began  a  thun- 
der shower  came  up,  and  the  rain  poured  down  in  a 
deluge  for  more  than  an  hour,  and  the  country  was 
flooded,  and  the  little  creeks  became  raging  torrents, 
and  in  crossing  one  of  these  streams  the  water  came 
into  our  buggy,  and  Esther  suffered  during  the  night 
from  nervousness  and  the  shock.  Yet  she  thought 
we  had  better  go  to  the  meeting  appointed  for  ten 
o'clock  next  day. 

We  had  now  gone  through  an  intense  strain  and 
Esther  was  very  ill,  and  we  felt  much  tired,  and  it 
seemed  we  should  be  compelled  to  abandon  the  meet- 
ings and  go  home,  but  about  three  o'clock  Mrs.  Hick- 
ey's  daughter  came  to  the  place  where  we  were,  and 
told  us  that  her  mother  desired  us  to  make  our  home 
with  them. 

Esther  was  suffering  much  and  it  seemed  she 
would  hardly  be  able  to  ride  to  Mrs.  Hickey's,  a  mile 
distant.  But  though  so  sick  she  said  she  would  go. 
We  arrived  there  about  three  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon and  Esther  went  immediately  to  her  room,  and 
by  meeting  time  it  was  evident  that  neither  of  us 
could  attend  that  night,  Esther  being  so  ill  that  she 
required  my  attention.  I  watched  beside  her  and  ap- 
plied such  simple  remedies  as  we  had  with  us.  We 
thought  now  we  must  go  home  in  the  morning  if  she 
was  able  to  travel. 

We  sent  word  that  we  would  hold  no  more  meet- 
ings. As  the  hours  passed  Esther  grew  worse  and 
a  crisis  seemed  to  be  coming;  the  pain  increased  to 
agony,  and  at  last  she  exclaimed:  ''Oh,  Nathan!  I 
cannot  endure  this  pain  much  longer."  I  now  be- 
took myself  to  earnest  prayer,  remembering  that  the 


Prayer  of  Faith,  527 

Lord  had  said,  ''Call  upon  me  in  the  day  of  trouble 
and  I  will  answer  thee. ' ' 

I  said,  ''Lord,  I  am  calling  on  thee,  and  thou 
hast  promised.  I  have  done  all  I  can.  Here  is  thy 
servant  sick  and  we  both  love  thee.  O  Lord,  I  be- 
seech thee  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  thou  wilt  re- 
buke the  disease  and  give  her  rest,  and  cause  the  pain 
to  cease.'* 

We  realized  that  God  had  heard  our  prayer  and 
was  answering  it.  The  pain  soon  ceased  and  she 
went  to  sleep.  Next  morning  she  was  so  much  bet- 
ter we  concluded  to  go  home  in  the  evening.  But  be- 
fore train  time  we  had  received  a  number  of  tele- 
phone messages  from  Columbia,  Mt.  Pleasant  and 
Cross  Bridges,  urging  us  not  to  think  of  going  home ; 
that  people  all  over  the  country  wanted  us  to  remain ; 
and  that  we  must  not  go,  and  so  persistent  were  they 
in  their  entreaties  that  we  once  more  took  the  mat- 
ter of  remaining  to  the  Lord  in  prayer  and  in  the 
evening  it  seemed  surely  that  it  must  be  right  for  us 
to  remain  and  hold  some  more  meetings;  that  the 
Lord  was  holding  us. 

Esther  was  now  much  better,  and  so  we  an- 
nounced meetings  to  commence  at  the  M.  E.  Church, 
Cross  Bridges,  at  ten  o'clock  a.  m.  and  7:30  o'clock 
p.  m.  The  Lord  was  evidently  at  work  in  the  com- 
munity preparing  the  way. 

We  now  had  a  good  home  at  Mrs.  Hickey's  and 
every  attention  that  we  needed. 

They  that  trust  in  the  Lord  shall  never  be  con- 
founded, though  tried  they  shall  be  kept  in  the  hour 
of  temptation.  The  way  was  now  fully  open  and 
people  of  all  denominations,  and  sinners  of  all 
classes  attended  the  meetings  and  gladly  received  the 
Lord's  messages. 


528  Mrs.  M.Taggart. 

One  man  rode  thirty  miles  from  a  watering 
place  one  Sabbath  morning  to  attend  the  meeting, 
and  in  a  public  testimony  said,  ^*I  am  well  paid." 
He  was  an  Episcopalian.  People  came  from  all  the 
villages  around  for  five  and  six  miles,  and  many  came 
from  Columbia,  ten  miles  away,  and  the  house  wa3 
nightly  densely  packed  with  people  hungering  to 
hear  the  word  of  life. 

People  who  scarcely  ever  attended  a  religious 
meeting  came  until  the  large  plot  of  ground  around 
the  meeting  house  was  so  filled  with  buggies,  wagons 
and  horses  that  there  was  no  more  room  for  them 
and  they  were  compelled  to  hitch  them  along  the  road 
to  the  fence  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile  on  each  side  of 
the  meeting  house.  Major  Chairs,  the  father  of  Mrs. 
Hickey,  and  residing  with  her,  was  a  backslider.  He 
gave  himself  to  the  Lord  again. 

Hundreds  of  people  found  peace  in  believing; 
many  backsliders  were  reclaimed,  and  the  Lord 
crowned  our  labors  with  good  success,  and  though  we 
found  that  we  were  not  free  from  temptations  and 
trials,  we  realized  that  He  delivered  us  out  of  them 
all.  The  Lord  had  led  us  one  day  at  a  time,  and 
opened  the  way  before  us  as  we  called  upon  Him  and 
trusted  in  Him;  and  at  last,  like  the  children  of  Is- 
rael, who  had  crossed  the  Red  Sea,  we  celebrated  our 
victory.    To  God  be  all  the  glory. 

But  before  proceeding  with  the  general  account 
of  our  work  we  must  pay  a  little  tribute  of  loving  re- 
membrance to  Mrs.  Maggie  Taggert,  daughter  of 

At  Home,  Jamestown,  Ohio,  Octoher  and  Septemher. 

Sarah  and  Josiah  Clawson.  It  was  largely  through 
her  earnest  and  persistent  efforts  that  the  way  was 
opened  for  our  work  at  Cross  Bridges,  and  she  con- 
tributed not  a  little  to  its  success  by  attendance  and 


Kansas  Yearly  Meetings  Letter.  529 

earnest  work  in  the  meetings.  She  may  be  ranked 
as  one  of  the  foremost  among  the  noble  company  of 
Christian  women  in  Tennessee. 

From  Ashwood,  Tennessee,  we  returned  home 
and  spent  the  time  until  November,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  attending  Indiana  and  Western  yearly  meet- 
ing. We  had  planned  to  attend  Kansas  yearly  meet- 
ing, to  be  held  at  Lawrence,  but  our  health  was  such 
that  we  could  not  go.  So  we  sent  a  little  message  of 
love  to  them,  and  received  a  beautiful  letter  from  the 
clerk  and  the  following  tribute  from  the  yearly  meet- 
ing: 

Lawrence,  Kansas,  November  6th,  1898. 
Nathan  T.  and  Esther  G.  Frame : 

Dear  Friends:  Your  letter  addressed  to  Kan- 
sas yearly  meeting  was  received  in  due  time  and  read 
in  the  meeting.  There  were  many  disappointed  be- 
cause you  were  not  present  at  the  meeting.  Under  a 
deep  feeling  of  sympathy  and  love  for  you,  in  your 
far-away  home,  and  with  loving  remembrance  of  the 

Bloomington,  Indiana,  Novemher  15,  1897. 

many  happy  meetings  and  happy  occasions  of  past 
years,  the  meeting  expressed  a  wish  to  acknowledge 
the  receipt  of  your  kind  words  of  greeting,  and  to 
give  expression  of  the  love  we  bear  in  our  hearts  for 
you,  and  our  great  sympathy  for  you  in  your  labors 
of  love  for  the  Master  and  the  church. 
By  direction  of  the  meeting, 

E.  Stanley,  Clerk. 
About  November  15th  we  went  to  Bloomington, 
Indiana,  to  hold  meetings  in  the  M.  E.  Church,  with 
Brother  Dodridge,  pastor.  Though  winter  was  near, 
the  weather  was  still  very  pleasant,  and  as  we  sped 
down  the  Little  Miami  Valley,  it  was  like  being  car- 
ried though  an  earthly  paradise,  as  we  glided  by  hills 


530  Alhia,  Iowa. 

and  dale,  fair  fields  of  fresh  green  wheat,  meadows 
stretching  far  away,  beautiful  winding  roads,  almost 
as  smooth  as  a  floor,  made  from  the  pure  white  gravel 
dug  from  the  hillsides,  dear  old  farm  houses,  under 
the  boughs  of  the  forest  trees,  and  little  gurgling 
streams  of  crystal  water,  brewed  in  nature's  great 
laboratory  under  the  cliffs. 

Soon!  Ah!  too  soon;  it  seemed,  we  arrived  at  the 
Queen  City  with  its  smoke  and  noise,  its  tired,  disap- 
pointed throng  of  weary  people,  seeking  rest  and 
finding  none. 

Our  meetings  were  held  in  what  was  known  as 
the  College  Avenue  Church.  This  was  the  church 
where  the  students  from  the  State  University  at- 
tended ;  here  we  remained  two  weeks,  and  on  the  two 
Sabbath  days  we  were  there  we  had  from  three  to 
four  hundred  students  in  attendance.  The  meetings 
gave  promise  of  a  great  revival,  but  as  we  had  been 
engaged  for  work  in  Iowa  before  coming  here,  and 
our  time  was  out  we  went  home,  and  remained  one  or 
two  days  to  make  some  preparations. 

Alhia,  Iowa,  December,  1897. 

Lurama  Terrell,  pastor  of  Friends'  meeting  at 
Albia,  had  given  us  a  pressing  invitation  to  come  and 
hold  some  meetings  there. 

We  arrived  at  Albia,  Iowa,  about  the  5th  of  the 
twelfth  month,  1897,  and  found  the  Friends  few  in 
numbers  and  poor  as  to  earthly  possessions,  but  rich 
in  faith  toward  God,  and  full  of  the  Spirit  and  ready 
to  receive  any  gospel  message  that  we  might  have  for 
them. 

We  had  a  most  delightful  home  and  were  hos- 
pitably entertained  with  some  dear  Methodist  people 
the  home  provided  for  us  by  the  Friends'  Church. 


Albia,  Iowa.  531 

We  shall  not  soon  forget  how  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCreary 
cared  for  us,  doing  all  they  could  to  make  us  com- 
fortable and  see  that  we  had  rest  and  quiet. 

This  meeting  was  largely  composed  of  people 
who  had  recently  been  converted  or  had  come  to 
Friends  from  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  be- 
ing convinced  that  the  Scriptural  views  of  Friends 
were  correct,  and  that  they  could  have  more  freedom 
in  Spiritual  worship.  They  who  came  to  Friends 
from  the  M.  E.  Church  were  most  excellent  people 
and  devoted  Christians. 


532  Penn  College,  January,  1898. 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Penn  College  Meetings,  January,  1898. 

While  we  were  at  Albia  a  committee  of  Friends 
came  from  Oskaloosa  to  our  meetings ;  they  were  go- 
ing to  some  new  meetings  that  had  recently  been  or- 
ganized. On  their  return  home  two  of  these  Friends 
remained  with  us  over  the  Sabbath,  Cyrus  Beede,  an 
Elder  from  Penn  College  being  one  of  them. 

He  gave  us  a  most  pressing  invitation  to  come 
to  Penn  College  and  hold  some  meetings.  We  told 
him  we  would  gladly  come  if  the  Lord  opened  the 
way.  When  he  returned  home  he  laid  the  matter 
before  Friends,  at  Oskaloosa  meeting,  and  they  sent 
us  a  pressing  invitation  to  come  at  the  earliest  time 
possible.  They  informed  us  that  the  students  were 
very  busy  and  that  the  meetings  must  conamence 
soon,  as  they  could  continue  only  about  ten  days, 
as  there  was  a  course  of  lectures  and  the  students 
and  most  of  the  professors  had  procured  their  tick- 
ets. So  while  cordially  inviting  us  to  come  they  also 
gave  us  to  understand  they  could  not  give  us  much 
help,  only  for  a  very  short  time. 

Under  these  conditions  we  began  our  meetings 
at  Penn  College  January  4th,  1898,  and  continued 
three  weeks,  holding  two  meetings  each  day,  ten 
o  'clock  a.  m.  and  7 :30  p.  m.  As  far  as  time  allowed, 
all  the  professors  of  the  college  and  all  the  teachers 
attended  the  meetings  morning  and  at  night,  and  en- 
couraged the  students  to  attend.  They  also  encour- 
aged their  friends  and  acquaintance  in  the  city  and 
county  to  attend  the  meetings.  Thus  we  had  from 
the  first  meeting  the  full  co-operation  and  sympathy 
of  all  the  college  faculty  and  the  Christian  students. 


A.  EOSEXBERGEE^ 

President  of  Penn  College,  Oskaloosa,  Iowa. 


o 


< 

O 
O 


'^ 


Penn  College.  533 

These  meetings  from  the  first  were  deeply  spirit- 
ual; the  students  attended  almost  in  mass  at  night, 
and  many  of  them  came  to  the  day  meetings.  There 
was  a  yoimg  people's  Christian  Endeavor  among  the 
students  and  they  worked  earnestly  among  their  un- 
converted friends.  Soon  the  meeting  room  was  filled 
each  night. 

All  the  college  professors  accepted  the  Scrip- 
tures as  of  Divine  authority.  What  is  commonly 
known  as  higher  criticisms,  Rationalism,  Theosophy, 
and  the  many  isms,  that  sometimes  unsettle  the  young 
and  inexperienced,  had  no  place  in  the  minds  of  the 
college  faculty. 

President  Rosenberger,  Professor  William 
Pearson,  Professor  Michiner,  Professor  Hadley, 
Professor  Gifford,  all  gave  their  influence  and  help. 
They  are  fine  types  of  Christian  gentlemen,  such  as 
are  needed  in  all  our  schools  and  colleges. 

The  committee  of  arrangements  provided  us  a 
good  home. 

There  was  a  most  wonderful  work  of  grace 
wrought  among  the  students  and  the  people  from  the 
city  and  country.  One  young  man  who  was  quite 
popular  was  a  backslider,  and  his  young  friends  were 
very  anxious  about  him. 

He  was  brought  under  pungent  conviction,  but 
resisted  the  Spirit  for  almost  two  weeks,  but  finally 
at  one  of  the  night  meetings  he  yielded  and  came  for- 
ward for  prayer,  and  fifty  or  more  of  his  young  com- 
panions knelt  around  the  altar  with  him ;  they  silent- 
ly prayed  while  he  called  aloud,  saying,  *'God  be 
merciful  to  me,  a  sinner,''  and  soon  he  was  rejoicing 
in  the  Saviour's  love,  and  there  was  a  general  shout 
went  up  from  his  young  friends.  We  then  called  all 
the  young  men  and  women  to  the  platform  and  im- 
mediately there  was  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  re- 
sponded, their  faces  all  aglow  with  Divine  love,  and 


534  A  Night  Visitor, 

as  they  stood  on  the  rostrum  and  faced  the  audience 
and  sang  one  of  their  beautiful  Christian  Endeavor 
hymns,  the  chorus  beginning: 

*'I  love  Him  far  better  than  ever  before/' 
the  whole  room  seemed  filled  with  a  felt  sense  of  the 
presence  of  the  Lord.    **  Heaven  had  come  down  our 
souls  to  greet." 

The  glory  of  the  Lord  filled  the  room,  and  the 
bending  boughs  and  fragrant  shades  of  life's  fair 
trees  in  heaven  were  shedding  rich  perfume  upon  the 
people. 

One  stormy  night,  after  a  most  remarkable  meet- 
ing, at  which  many  had  been  converted  and  we  had 
gone  home  and  retired,  we  heard  some  one  rapping 
at  our  door,  and  when  we  inquired  what  was  wanted, 
the  response  came,  *'May  I  come  in?"  We  opened 
the  door,  and  there  stood  a  young  woman  who  as 
soon  as  she  was  admitted,  exclaimed,  **0,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Frame !  I  felt  that  I  must  see  you ;  I  am  a  sin- 
ner; will  you  pray  for  me?"  She  was  one  of  the 
young  lady  students  from  the  college,  a  church  mem- 
ber, but  unsaved.  We  all  knelt  down  and  prayed  for 
her,  and  she  prayed  aloud,  calling  on  God,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus,  and  soon  she  had  the  witness  of  the 
Spirit  that  her  sins  were  pardoned,  and  she  went 
home  rejoicing.  She  sought  the  Lord  with  all  her 
heart  and  found  Him.  There  were  more  than  one 
hundred  and  fifty  converted  at  this  series  of  meet- 
ings held  at  Perm  College. 

Quite  a  number  united  with  the  Friends  Church, 
among  them  two  professors  in  the  college  who  were 
not  Friends.  One  of  them  was,  or  had  been,  a  Bap- 
tist minister  and  a  teacher  in  the  languages.  The 
other  was  professor  of  Natural  Science. 

We  conclude  this  hasty  sketch  of  our  work  at 
Penn  College  with  an  extract  copied  from  the  Oska- 
loosa  Herald: 


Gospel  Messages,  535 


''Revival/' 

A  remarkable  event  in  the  history  of  Penn  Col- 
lege was  a  recent  series  of  meetings  of  twenty  days' 
continuance  conducted  by  the  well  known  Evange- 
lists, Nathan  and  Esther  Frame.  From  the  opening- 
session  to  the  conclusion  the  interest  remained  ima- 
bated.  A  most  thorough  and  searching  work  was  ac- 
complished, and  Jehovah's  name  exalted. 

The  capacious  audience  room  was  crowded  to  its 
utmost  limit.  The  hallway  scarcely  afforded  accom- 
modation for  the  overflow  and  the  anxious  throng 
were  reached,  convinced  and  edified. 

The  high  estimate  these  Evangelists  place  on  a 
sound  body,  a  truly  cultivated  mind,  a  calm  and  well 
balanced  judgment,  and  a  properly  developed  soul- 
life,  rendered  their  messages  especially  acceptable  to 
college  students. 

The  eloquent  and  living  messages  delivered  in 
the  fear  of  the  Lord  have  brought  hundreds  to 
Christ. 

There  was  no  compromise  with  worldliness  and 
the  fashionable  vices  of  the  day.  Spirit-filled  and 
spirit-led,  each  taught,  prayed  and  prophesied,  as 
the  Lord  gave  them  utterance,  each  greatly  aiding 
the  other. 

Would  that  among  Friends  there  might  spring 
up  a  revival  of  such  *'old  fashioned  Quaker  preach- 
ing." 

During  the  meetings  such  harmony  prevailed 
under  the  Divine  guidance  that  nothing  occurred  to 
mar  the  work,  or  destroy  the  unity,  although  the  au- 
diences were  mixed,  and  abundant  opportunity  was 
given  for  free  participation  in  all  the  services. 

These  dear  Friends  would  prove  a  great  bless- 
ing to  some  of  our  struggling  meetings  in  the  larger 


536    Central  M.  E.  Churchy  Oskaloosa,  Iowa. 

cities  and  towns,  as  they  are  particularly  adapted  to 
work  in  such  places.  We  cannot  but  express  the 
wish  that  they  might  remain  in  our  own  yearly  meet- 
ing for  many  months,  and  we  know  a  great  ingather- 
ing would  be  the  result. 

These  meetings  were  especially  blessed,  closing 
with  a  most  remarkable  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

Central  M.  E.  Church,  Oskaloosa, 

While  we  were  at  Penn  College,  Brother  Barn- 
ford,  pastor  of  the  First  M.  E.  Church  of  Oskaloosa, 
with  the  Presbyterian  minister,  came  to  see  if  we 
would  hold  a  union  meeting  for  the  city  churches, 
but  as  we  could  not  come  right  away,  the  union 
meetings  were  abandoned;  so  we  arranged  to  hold  a 
series  of  meetings  at  the  M.  E.  Church. 

Quite  a  number  of  the  Methodists  had  attended 
at  Penn  College,  among  them  a  member  of  the  offi- 
cial board  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  who  came  forward 
for  prayer,  and  was  converted  and  gave  public  testi- 
mony for  the  first  time  that  he  was  saved. 

The  spirit  of  conviction  had  spread  from  the  col- 
lege meetings  to  the  city  churches  and  the  surround- 
ing coimtry,  and  there  was  a  hungering  for  a  revival. 

The  weather  was  very  cold,  a  snow  storm  and  a 
severe  blizzard  were  raging  at  the  time  our  meetings 
began.  But  the  people  immediately  filled  the  great 
audience  room,  frequently  before  the  time  appointed 
for  the  meeting  to  commence,  and  from  the  time  the 
first  hymn  was  sung,  or  prayer  offered,  there  was  the 
most  respectful  attention  given  by  that  vast  throng, 
and  both  young  and  old  seemed  equally  desirous  to 
hear  and  take  in  the  gospel  message. 


The  Holy  Spirit  Leads.  537 

Some  of  the  elderly  members  of  the  church  had 
propheseyed  that  there  would  never  be  any  more 
great  revivals,  such  as  they  had  known  in  the  former 
days  in  the  "Old  Meeting  House,"  and  so  they  came 
with  many  misgivings  to  the  "Great  New  House," 
with  stained  glass  windows,  frescoed  walls,  pipe  or- 
gan, cushioned  seats  and  carpeted  floors. 

But  soon  they  were  made  to  rejoice  that  the  God 
of  the  old  meeting  house  was  the  God  of  the  new  one, 
and  that  he^-e  as  well  as  there,  and  now  as  well  as 
then,  the  Gospel  was  the  power  of  God  unto  salva- 
tion to  everyone  that  believeth. 

The  meetings  were  conducted  with  great  simplic- 
ity, and  entirely  without  prearrangement.  Some- 
times they  would  be  opened  by  prayer,  sometimes  by 
a  song,  sometimes  by  a  lesson  read  from  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  other  times  the  pastor  would  give  an  ex- 
hortation, and  again  many  would  give  testimony  of 
their  love  for  the  Sa^dour,  and  then  there  would  be 
a  hush  of  silence  on  the  vast  assembly  as  the  mighty 
presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  Himself  sweeping  over 
the  audience,  and  yet  in  all  this  there  was  no  con- 
fusion, no  disorder. 

These  opening  servdces  were  a  John  the  Baptist, 
running  before  the  preaching  of  the  word,  and  mak- 
ing ready  the  hearts  of  the  people  to  receive  the 
wonderful  truths  of  God  that  were  to  break  sinner's 
hearts  to  pieces  and  bring  them  to  Christ. 

Every  night  for  four  weeks  was  the  altar 
crowded  with  seekers,  calling  upon  the  name  of  the 
Lord,  and  every  night  many  of  them  found  redemp- 
tion through  his  blood  and  went  home  from  the  meet- 
ings to  tell  their  friends  what  great  things  the  Lord 
had  done  for  them,  and  to  press  the  claims  of  the 
gospel  upon  their  unsaved  neighbors.  Thus  the  word 
of  the  Lord  grew  and  was  multiplied. 


538 


Great  Meeting  for  Women. 


There  were  two  of  the  day  meetings  that  claim 
a  place  in  these  reminiscences. 

Esther  appointed  a  special  meeting  for  women, 
from  twelve  years  old  and  upward.  There  were 
more  than  eight  hundred  women  came  to  this  day 
meeting,  women  of  all  classes  and  conditions,  saint 
and  sinner. 

The  sermon  at  this  woman's  meeting  was  on  the 
wife's  and  mother's  influence  with  the  children  and 
family,  and  the  fashionable  follies  and  amusements 
of  the  day  which  destroy  so  many  souls. 

Cards,  dancing  and  theaters  and  ungodly  com- 
pany were  graphically  described  as  the  gateways 
through  which  so  many  of  our  young  women  go  down 
to  ruin. 

And  when  at  the  close  of  the  sermon  the  audi- 
ence were  asked  to  stand  up  as  determined  to  give 
their  influence  against  these  popular  amusements  and 
sinful  pleasures,  nearly  everyone  arose  to  their  feet, 
covenanting  that  they  would  give  their  example  and 
influence  against  them. 

While  this  woman's  meeting  was  in  progress  in 
the  main  audience  room,  in  the  church  parlors  down 
stairs,  a  men's  meeting  was  in  progress;  the  rooms 
were  crowded  to  their  utmost  capacity.  This  was 
also  a  most  marvelous  meeting.  A  meeting  where 
the  Spirit  of  God  reigned,  a  meeting  full  of  intensity 
of  feeling,  testimony,  prayer,  a  shout,  or  two,  in  the 
camp. 

Old  men  rejoiced,  and  like  Simeon  in  the 
Temple,  were  heard  to  exclaim,  I  am  now  ready  to 
depart,  since  I  have  lived  to  see  this  day.  The  back- 
slidden were  renewed,  souls  were  sanctified,  and  sin- 
ners wept  and  called  on  the  name  of  the  Lord.  It 
was  a  day  of  Pentecost  to  the  church.  One  Sabbath 
afternoon  we  had  a  children's  and  young  people's 
meeting;  the  Sabbath  School  and  Epworth  League 


Young  People's  Meeting.  539 

were  set  aside  that  we  might  have  this  mass  meeting 
for  the  young  people.  There  were  more  than  eight 
hundred  in  attendance.  Following  is  a  notice  of  this 
children's  meeting  with  comments  on  the  revival 
from  some  of  the  Oskaloosa  papers: 

Meetings  at  Oskaloosa,  February,  1898. 

'^Salvation." 

**Good  Work  Done  In  the  Big  Revival.*' 

At  Oskalsoosa,  January  15th,  1898. 

The  meetings  conducted  by  the  noted  Evange- 
lists, Nathan  and  Esther  Frame,  have  been  in  pro- 
gress with  unabated  interest  for  the  past  two  weeks. 

Last  Sunday  was  one  of  the  greatest  demonstra- 
tions in  results  in  the  history  of  revivals  in  Oska- 
loosa. 

The  Sabbath  was  a  beautiful  day.  At  9 :30  a.  m. 
there  were  hundreds  who  attended  the  general  class 
meeting  and  gave  joyful  testimony  to  the  power  of 
saving  grace,  young  men  and  women  in  their  new 
found  love,  with  old  veterans  of  the  cross,  as  in  days 
of  the  early  church  met  to  praise  and  laud  the  name 
of  Jesus.  At  10:30  o'clock  Mrs.  Frame  preached  a 
most  excellent  sermon  from  James  1st  and  25th,  and 
at  the  close  of  the  discourse  many  united  with  the 
church. 

At  2:30  there  was  a  mass  meeting  for  young 
people  and  children.  This  was  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable meetings  of  the  series.  The  inmaense  au- 
dience room  and  galleries  of  the  church  were  filled 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  held  their  young  audience 
perfectly  spell-bound  as  they  told  the  beautiful  story 
of  the  cross,  and  illustrated  it  with  simple  note  and 


540  Prayer  Meeting. 

comment,  with  a  spirit  and  a  power  that  sent  light  to 
the  mind  and  heart  of  all  present. 

It  almost  seemed  to  the  listeners  that  they  were 
hearing  this  wonderful  story  told  them  for  the  first 
time,  and  with  a  pathos  and  eloquence  seldom  equal- 
led. The  preachers  were  certainly  masters  of  the 
situation.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  service  more 
than  one  hundred  children  and  young  people  came 
forward,  and  with  quiet  eloquence,  and  with  tears, 
bowed  around  the  altar  and  gave  themselves  to  the 
Saviour. 

It  was  a  sight  once  seen  never  to  be  forgotten, 
the  teachers  of  the  different  Sabbath  Schools,  the 
fathers  and  mothers,  bowed  among  them,  and  prayed 
with  them,  and  many  professed  having  faith  in 
Christ. 

The  meeting  at  7:30  o'clock  was  a  remarkable 
one.  There  were  from  1,800  to  2,000  people  present; 
the  great  audience  room  and  galleries  were  filled  to 
repletion,  and  many  stood  all  through  the  service 
around  the  walls  or  any  place  that  was  unoccupied. 
Mrs.  Frame's  discourse  was  on  the  Choice  of  Moses. 

And  that  immense  audience  was  held  entranced 
from  the  first  utterance  of  the  eloquent  preacher  un- 
til the  climax  of  her  most  remarkable  sermon. 

A  most  remarkable  service  was  held  at  two 
o'clock  Monday.  It  was  led  by  Mr.  Frame,  and  was 
in  the  form  of  a  prayer  and  testimony  meeting,  with 
representatives  from  nearly  all  the  city  churches. 

The  prayers  were  spontaneous  and  fervent  for 
still  a  greater  outpouring  of  the  spirit  upon  Oska- 
loosa,  and  the  hundreds  present  were  manifestly  un- 
der the  power  of  God.  The  time  was  all  too  short 
for  the  people  to  tell  all  that  was  in  their  hearts. 


Farewell  Service,  541 

^'Farewell  Service/' 

*'The  Evangelists  Given  a  Great  Reception/' 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame,  the  Evangelists,  held  their 
farewell  meeting  at  the  Central  M.  E.  Church  Sab- 
bath night,  February  28th,  1898.  Every  place,  even 
of  standing  room,  was  taken  before  the  hour  for  ser- 
vice arrived.  The  meeting  opened  with  a  short  ad- 
dress and  prayer  by  Mr.  Frame.  Mrs.  Frame  then 
preached  from  the  words,  '*  Watch  ye  stand  fast  in 
the  faith.''  The  sermon  was  one  of  the  most  earnest, 
eloquent  and  effective  of  the  series. 

In  the  after  meeting  many  seekers  presented 
themselves  for  prayer  and  found  peace  in  believing. 

At  the  close  of  the  meeting  hundreds  shook 
hands  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  and  bid  them  god- 
speed as  they  go  to  carry  on  their  work  in  other 
places.  The  meetings  at  the  Central  Church  have 
been  in  progress  four  weeks,  and  more  than  four 
hundred  persons  have  come  forward  for  prayers, 
some  for  pardon,  some  for  purity,  and  some  for  the 
baptism  of  power.  The  accessions  to  the  Methodist 
Church  up  to  Sabbath  night  were  one  hundred  and 
fifty-three,  with  more  to  follow. 

Many  will  join  other  churches.  The  life  religious- 
ly of  the  whole  community  has  been  distinctly  raised. 
Wrongs  have  been  righted,  confessions  have  been 
made,  family  religion  has  been  established.  Many 
wicked  lives  have  been  reformed.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Frame  under  God,  have  rendered  great  and  lasting 
service  to  the  religious  life  of  Oskaloosa,  and  they 
departed  from  here  followed  by  the  good  wishes  and 
benedictions  of  thousands.'' 

We  had  many  pressing  calls  to  cities  and  large 
towns  in  Iowa,  but  had  promised  to  hold  some  meet- 


542  Various  Meetings,  1898. 

ings  at  Wichita,  Kansas.  So  about  the  first  of  March 
we  left  the  many  dear  friends  at  Perm  College  and 
Oskaloosa.  We  stopped  a  time  at  Atmnuwa  to  get  a 
through  train  to  St.  Louis;  the  night  was  cold  and 
cheerless;  there  was  no  one  present  in  the  waiting 
room  but  ourselves. 

Wichita,  Kansas,  March,  1898. 

The  Lord  blessed  us  in  our  work  here  and  the 
little  church  was  revived,  and  some  who  had  been 
scattered  in  the  cloudy  and  dark  day  returned  to  the 
Father's  house. 

Esther's  health  was  quite  poor ;  the  work  in  Iowa 
had  been  very  taxing,  so  we  did  not  continue  our 
meetings  more  than  two  weeks  at  the  Friends 
Church.  Quite  a  number  of  people  were  converted 
and  joined  the  Friends  Church. 

Various  Meetings,  1898. 

We  held  another  meeting  in  Wichita  at  the  First 
M.  E.  Church.  We  were  there  two  weeks;  many 
souls  were  converted,  but  we  were  compelled  to  close 
our  work  there  on  account  of  Esther's  health.  We 
were  neither  of  us  able  to  pursue  it. 

Dear  Brother  and  Sister  Kenworthy  made  a  re- 
ception for  us  at  their  beautiful  home  the  last  night 
we  were  at  Wichita.  There  were  about  one  hundred 
assembled  and  we  had  a  most  blessed  social,  and  at 
tJie  close  a  season  of  prayer  and  thanksgiving,  many 
of  the  persons  converted  at  our  recent  meetings  be- 
ing present.  We  bade  them  all  farewell  at  a  late 
hour,  being  ready  to  depart  for  our  home  in  Ohio. 

We  shall  not  soon  forget  the  loving  kindness  we 
received  from  both  John  Kenworthy  and  his  excel- 


i 


Summer  of  1898.  543 

lent  wife.  The  Lord's  blessing  forever  rest  in  double 
measure  upon  them.  Neither  can  we  forget  to  men- 
tion our  old  time  friends,  Robert  Harris  and  wife, 
and  their  children,  now  grown  to  maturity.  God 
bless  them  all,  and  may  we  meet  them  at  the  gates  of 
the  beautiful  city,  and  all  go  in,  to  come  no  more  out 
forever.  They  are  the  friends  who  were  so  kind  and 
lielpful  to  us  in  our  first  ministry. 

At  Home  Summer  of  1898. 

During  the  summer  we  attended  a  few  quarterly 
meetings  of  Friends  in  Ohio  and  Indiana;  also  at- 
tended Wilmington  and  Indiana  yearly  meetings. 
Then  on  October  4  went  from  Jamestown,  Ohio,  to 
attend  Kansas  yearly  meeting  at  Lawrence,  Kansas. 

After  the  close  of  Kansas  yearly  meeting  we  re- 
mained and  held  a  few  meetings  at  Tonganotie,  Kan- 
sas, then  came  back  to  Lawrence,  and  at  the  earnest 
request  of  Friends  held  a  series  of  meetings  at 
Friends  meeting  house  in  Lawrence.  Much  good  was 
done.  We  need  not  say  more,  as  we  have  given  full 
accounts  of  meetings  here  at  Lawrence  before. 
Though  we  might  add  that  we  found  many  who  were 
little  children  and  converted  at  our  first  great  meet- 
ing here,  now  grown  to  man  and  womanhood,  and 
many  of  them  most  earnest  working  Christians  at 
this  time.  We  also  held  a  three  weeks'  meeting  in 
the  First  M.  E.  Church  in  Lawrence,  a  most  blessed 
occasion  and  many  converted.  The  pastor  and  mem- 
bership were  very  kind  and  loving  to  us.  So  we 
close  the  account  of  our  gospel  work  for  the  year 

t       Cleveland,  Ohio,  January,  1899. 

In  the  early  part  of  January,  1899,  we  went  to 
Cleveland  to  hold  a  series  of  meetings  in  Friends 


544  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

meeting  house.  We  were  both  weary  from  almost 
constant  work  in  protracted  meetings  for  the  past 
two  months,  and  each  of  us  had  been  suffering  from 
lagrippe  from  which  we  had  not  yet  recovered. 

We  arrived  in  the  city  at  night  on  a  belated 
snow-stormed  train,  and  f  oimd  no  one  at  the  depot 
to  meet  us.  So  I  took  a  big  satchel  in  one  hand  and 
In  the  other  two  little  ** grips,"  while  Esther  carried 
the  other  little  affairs,  such  as  umbrellas,  a  band  box 
and  traveling  bag.  Thus  we  labored  up  the  long, 
snowy,  wind-blown  hill  from  the  Lake  Shore  depot 
to  where  we  could  find  a  street  car  three  or  four 
squares  away.  We  found  a  car  at  last  and  entered 
and  directed  the  driver  to  leave  us  at  street  and  num- 
ber. Chilled,  weary  and  sick  almost ;  we  stepped  out 
of  the  car  into  the  deserted  street  to  walk  two 
squares  to  J.  W.  Malone's,  our  haven  of  rest,  but 
found,  alas,  when  too  late,  that  he  had  recently 
changed  his  place  of  residence,  and  now  we  must  face 
the  cold  lake  blast  that  whirled  the  blinding  snow  in 
drifting  clouds.  We  were  both  thoroughly  chilled 
by  the  intense  cold,  and  I  was  shivering  and  shaking 
from  a  severe  nervous  chill  as  well  as  from  the  cold, 
but  the  satchels  and  baggage  must  not  be  deserted,  so 
we  continued  the  march,  and  to  our  joy  soon  met  our 
dear  friend,  J.  Walter  Malone,  who  was  searching 
for  us.  We  were  taken  to  their  home  and  found  rest 
and  comfort,  which  we  much  appreciated.  As  we 
have  noted  quite  elaborately  the  meetings  we  held 
here  formerly,  we  need  not  do  more  now  than  copy 
some  press  accounts  from  the  Cleveland  papers : 

A  Successful  Revival— (Cleveland  Leader.) 

The  revival  conducted  at  the  Friends  Church 
by  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame  for  the  past  week  will 
continue  every  night  the  coming  week.    There  are 


I 


Quaker  in  Cleveland.  545 

large  and  enthusiastic  audiences  come  to  hear  these 
noted  evangelists  every  night.  Many  conversions 
occurred  last  night.  The  people  of  Cleveland  are  as 
delighted  to  hear  them  now  as  they  were  for  the  first 
time  years  ago.  Mrs.  Frame,  who  is  said  to  he  the 
greatest  and  most  eloquent  woman  preacher  in  the 
world,  has  held  her  congregations  spellbound  every 
lime  she  has  preached  by  her  beautiful  flow  of  lan- 
guage. The  altar  was  crowded  last  night,  many  con- 
verted and  still  the  work  goes  on. 
Another  account  is  headed : 

"The  Quakers  in  Cleveland." 

On  Cedar  avenue  there  was  a  little  Quaker  meet- 
ing house  erected  many  years  ago  where  these  quiet 
people  met  to  worship  God.  The  meeting  was  small 
and  the  members  few  until  1882;  but  among  them 
were  such  names  as  James  Farmer,  L.  E.  Pain,  Jane 
Petitt,  Anson  Pope,  James  Langstaff  and  others  of 
prominence.  In  1882  there  was  a  new  impetus  given 
to  this  little  church. 

The  quiet  Friends  were  not  to  be  left  behind  in 
the  onward  march  of  civilization.  So  there  was  a 
protracted  meeting  held.  The  services  of  Nathan  and 
Esther  Frame,  noted  and  widely  known  Evangelists 
of  the  ** Quaker  Church,"  having  been  secured;  the 
meetings  began,  and  greatly  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  Christian  public;  hundreds  were  converted 
and  more  than  one  hundred  joined  the  Quaker 
Church. 

Since  then  the  work  has  gone  steadily  forward, 
and  the  Friends  Church  has  had  a  healthful  growth. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  were  pastors  of  the  First 
Friends  Church  for  more  than  a  year  and  six  months 
after  their  first  revival  meetings.  J.  W.  Malone,  a 
young  business  man,  a  little  time  previous  to  the 


546  Wilmington,  Ohio, 

above  mentioned  meetings  in  one  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Frame's  meetings,  dedicated  himself  to  the  Lord, 
and  since  then  he  and  his  wife,  Emma  Malone,  both 
now  ministers  of  the  gospel,  have  been  instrumental 
in  building  a  house  and  establishing  a  training  school 
to  prepare  young  men  and  women  who  feel  them- 
selves called  to  the  ministry  and  to  be  missionaries. 

There  are  now  in  the  city  of  Cleveland  five  mis- 
sion stations,  beside  the  First  Friends  Church  on 
Cedar  avenue.  The  Evangelists,  Nathan  and  Esther 
Trame,  who  held  the  first  series  of  meetings,  are  hav- 
ing a  very  successful  meeting  here.  Their  meetings 
are  expected  to  close  the  coming  Sabbath  night,  and 
they  are  looking  for  a  great  outpouring  of  the  Spirit. 

February,  1899. 

Wilmington,  Clinton  Co.,  Ohio. 

Our  next  work  was  at  Wilmington,  Ohio,  among 
some  of  the  Friends  who  were  there  when  we  held 
our  first  meeting  in  Preston's  Hall  in  1870,  nearly 
thirty  years  ago. 

There  have  been  great  changes  among  Friends 
in  that  time;  many  of  the  dear  workers  who  were 
there  then  in  the  strength  and  maturity  of  their  man 
and  womanhood  have  finished  their  work  for  the 
Master  and  gone  to  their  reward;  others  who  were 
but  young  and  who  were  converted  at  that  series  of 
meetings  are  now  the  leading  members  in  the  church, 
some  of  them  ministers,  some  of  them  educators, 
some  of  them  business  men  and  women. 

The  little  old  meeting  house  that  would  seat 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  people  is  no  more. 
Friends  now  have  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
commodious  houses  of  worship  in  the  limits  of  the 
Society  of  Friends  in  the  United  States  and  the  lar- 


o 

H 
O 

I— I 


Levi  Mills.  547 

gest  meeting  in  the  limits  of  Wilmington  yearly 
meeting.  Wilmington  College,  embowered  among 
the  great  oak  and  beech  forest  trees,  with  a  beautiful 
campus  of  twenty  acres,  is  one  of  the  chief  educa- 
tional institutions  among  Friends  in  America  and 
bids  fair  to  take  rank  among  the  great  colleges  of  the 
country,  and  we  cannot  but  believe  that  the  revival 
meetings  held  here  in  1870  laid  the  foundation  for 
Wilmington  College,  and  the  present  prosperous 
condition  of  the  Friends  Church  in  Wilmington 
yearly  meeting. 

Levi  Mills,  who  was  converted  then  and  is  now 
a  minister,  has  for  a  mmaber  of  years  been  doing  a 
most  blessed  work  in  his  own  home  meeting  and  the 
surrounding  country  preaching  almost  every  Sab- 
bath for  a  series  of  years. 

We  had  blessed  meetings  among  the  Friends 
here,  and  the  Lord  crowned  our  labors  with  success. 
Our  meetings  continued  about  three  weeks.  God 
bless  the  dear  Friends  at  Wilmington.  We  may 
never  hold  another  series  of  meetings  among  them, 
but  we  shall  meet  many  of  the  dear  Saints  of  God 
from  there  and  be  permitted  with  them  to  sing  the 
song  of  "Moses  and  the  Lamb"  together. 

"Where  the  spoiler  finds  no  prey. 

Where  lovely  things  and  sweet  pass  not  away." 

Chesterton,  Indiana,  March,  1899. 

From  Wilmington  we  went  home  a  few  days 
and  then  went  to  Chesterton,  Indiana.  This  is  a 
town  of  twelve  hundred  inhabitants  on  the  Michigan 
Southern  Railway,  forty  miles  east  of  Chicago. 
Albert  Detch  was  pastor  of  the  church  where  the 
meetings  were  held.  He  and  his  wife  were  devoted 
Christians  and  we  were  entertained  at  their  home. 
They  were  very  loving  and  tender  of  us  and  did  all 


548  Chesterton,  Indiana. 

they  could  to  make  our  stay  with  them  comfortable 
and  pleasant. 

The  choir  in  the  Methodist  Church  were  ungod- 
ly, except  the  leader ;  he  was  a  good  man.  The  prin- 
cipal woman  singer  was  a  Universalist,  a  dancer, 
card  player  and  theater  attender,  and  being  a  woman 
of  some  wealth  and  education,  she  set  the  social 
standard  for  the  young  people  of  the  church.  Still 
she  desired  to  be  considered  pious  and  a  Christian. 
But  under  the  pungent  preaching  of  the  gospel  she 
soon  left  the  choir  and  took  her  place  among  the  sin- 
ners in  the  congregation. 

It  is  a  sad  day  for  any  church  when  the  leaders 
are  ungodly.  All  the  leaders  in  any  church,  singers 
and  ministers  and  teachers,  should  be  godly  men  and 
women. 

But  though  the  churches  here  were  so  cold  and 
many  of  the  members  sinners  the  Lord  blessed  his 
word,  and  many  were  converted.  One  old  gentle- 
man, a  prominent  member  of  the  Methodist  Church, 
said  in  a  public  meeting,  while  the  tears  of  joy  ran 
down  his  face,  that  there  had  not  been  such  a  revival 
in  Chesterton  for  forty  years. 

The  pastor.  Brother  Detch,  writing  to  us  the  fol- 
lowing September,  said:  *'The  persons  converted 
in  the  meetings  you  held  here  are  standing  firm  with 
one  exception,  and  the  good  effect  of  the  meetings  can 
still  be  seen. 

**You  remember  August  Gondering,  the  super- 
intendent of  the  business  college  who  was  so  con- 
victed while  you  was  here;  he  was  converted  last 
Sabbath  morning,  and  his  was  the  most  marvelous 
conversion  I  have  ever  witnessed,  and  others  have 
been  coming  since  the  meetings  closed. 

"The  Chesterton  people  all  send  love  to  you. 
Sincerely,  Albert  G.  Detch. ^' 


Many  Hundreds  Saved.  549 

From  January,  1898,  until  March,  1899,  we  had 
held  seven  series  of  meetings,  and  from  three  to  four 
weeks  each,  holding  two  meetings  every  day  with  few 
exceptions. 

Beside  these  series  of  meetings  we  had  attended 
all  the  sessions  of  four  yearly  meetings,  and  a  num- 
ber of  quarterly  and  monthly  meetings. 

At  these  meetings  there  had  been  eight  hundred 
converted,  many  backsliders  reclaimed  and  hundreds 
had  joined  the  churches  where  we  had  labored. 

From  Chesterton  we  returned  to  the  little  home 
in  Jamestown,  Ohio,  weary  and  worn  with  the  work, 
but  with  the  peace  of  Christ  in  our  hearts. 

And  though  many  things  without  try  our  faith 
we  may  still  say : 

"When  falls  the  winter  flakes  of  frost, 
'Tis  summertime  somewhere. 
And  violets  bloom  in  valleys, 
With  birdsongs  in  the  air. 

"These  stormy  winds,  they  only  blow 
The  lilly  lips  apart. 
'Tis  sunshine  still,  to  all  who  know 
That  Christ  is  in  the  heart." 

July  16th,  1899. 
Grant,  Tennessee, 

Our  next  meetings  were  to  be  held  at  Grant, 
Tennessee,  with  the  Cumberland  Presbyterians. 
Though  away  off  from  the  railways  and  out  among 
the  hills,  when  Brother  Symms  wrote  for  us,  we  felt 
it  was  a  call  from  the  Lord. 

Brother  Symms  had  consecrated  himself  to  God 
as  a  minister  in  a  series  of  meetings  we  held  some 
years  before  at  a  little  town  called  Chinuby,  in  Law- 


550  Grant,  Tennessee. 

rence  county,  Tennessee.  Since  then  he  had  educated 
himself  and  had  been  accepted  by  his  church  as  a 
minister,  and  now  he  wanted  us  with  him  in  a  series 
of  meetings.  There  were  two  churches  in  the  village 
of  Grant,  Baptist  and  Presbyterian.  There  was 
much  prejudice  among  the  Baptists  against  a  woman 
preaching.  The  Baptist  minister  had  preached  a 
sermon  the  Sabbath  before  we  came,  warning  his 
people  against  attending  the  Quaker  meeting  and 
hearing  the  woman  preach,  as  it  would  be  a  sin  for 
them  to  hear  her. 

The  house  was  soon  crowded,  day  and  night,  to 
hear  the  Quaker  woman.  Many  of  the  Baptists 
came.  One  of  these  Baptists  said:  *'I  did  not  know 
whether  it  was  best  for  me  to  come,  as  our  preacher 
spoke  against  it,  but  the  Lord  has  blessed  me  in  hear- 
ing the  woman,  and  I  do  not  think  I  have  committed 
any  sin." 

Many  of  these  dear  Baptists  became  earnest 
workers  in  the  meetings.  There  was  a  Baptist  sister 
and  her  children  who  were  much  prejudiced  against 
the  meetings,  but  came  with  the  father,  who  was  a 
wicked  man.  This  man  came  to  the  altar,  and  when 
his  wife  and  children  saw  hmi  there,  they  came  and 
knelt  by  him,  and  he  was  soon  converted  and  the 
prejudices  of  this  Baptist  family  were  all  gone. 

It  seems  a  constant  marvel  to  us  how  the  Lord 
continues  to  honor  the  work.  The  people  crowded 
the  house  at  all  the  night  sessions.  There  was  an  in- 
tense hunger  to  hear  the  gospel,  and  the  altar  was 
thronged  with  penitents  at  almost  every  meeting,  and 
many  were  converted.  Though  the  weather  was  ex- 
cessively hot  the  people  came  from  five  to  eight  miles 
and  declared  that  they  were  well  paid  for  coming. 

One  woman  who  had  been  raised  among  Friends 
came  twenty  miles  and  the  second  meeting  she  at- 


J 


p.  M.  Symms,  551 

tended  she  was  converted  and  shouted  and  praised 
the  Lord. 

Backsliders  were  reclaimed,  old  disputes  and 
grudges  were  settled.  Brother  Symms'  case  is  a  re- 
markable one.  In  a  letter  to  us  since  our  meetings 
with  him  he  says : 

*^I  heard  that  Brother  and  Sister  Frame  were 
to  hold  some  meetings  at  Chinuby.  I  had  heard  you 
once  at  Lawrenceburg.  So  I  said  I  will  go  and  hear 
them  again,  and  this  shall  forever  settle  the  question 
of  my  call  to  preach.  I  was  in  great  trouble,  and  had 
decided  to  commit  suicide  if  I  could  not  get  relief.  I 
went  to  your  meeting  and,  finally,  on  the  last  day  of 
the  meeting,  while  a  brother  was  testifying  of  the 
power  of  God  to  save,  I  sprang  to  my  feet  and  made 
my  dedication  to  the  Lord  to  be  a  minister,  and  I 
have  been  happy  ever  since.  God  has  given  me  hun- 
dreds of  souls,  and  from  that  day  to  this  I  have 
never  doubted  my  call  to  the  ministry,  and  my  grati- 
tude to  you  can  never  be  repaid  by  me,  but  God  will 
reward  you  abundantly. 

*'P.  M.  Symms, 
*' Pastor  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  Grant, 

Tennessee. ' ' 

We  made  our  home  much  of  the  time  with 
Brother  Johnson  and  wife,  and  we  shall  ever  cherish 
their  memory  with  gratitude  and  love.  May  God 
bless  the  many  dear  loving  Friends  at  the  little  vil- 
lage of  Grant,  Tennessee.  One  of  the  brethren  car- 
ried us  in  his  carriage  to  the  station  at  Lebanon, 
twelve  miles  distant.  And  with  true  Southern  Jios- 
pitality  a  number  of  the  brothers  and  sisters  came 
with  us  to  the  train,  among  whom  were  Brother 
Symms  and  wife,  and  Elder  Shauer,  the  chief  Elder 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  who  took  the  whole 
company  to  a  good  hotel  and  ordered  dinner  for  us 


552  Winthrop  Center,  Maine. 

all.  Here  we  enjoyed  this  last  meal  with  our  sweet 
Southern  friends,  praising  the  Lord  for  His  loving- 
kindness  to  us.  Then  we  separated,  commending 
each  other  to  the  Lord,  promising  to  be  faithful  to 
Him  until  we  should  meet  in  our  Father's  many  man- 
sioned  house. 

At  Home,  Jamestown,  Ohio,  July,  1899. 

We  remained  at  home  after  our  meetings  at 
Grant  until  in  August,  and  attended  our  yearly  meet- 
ing at  Wilmington,  Ohio.  Then  Western  and  In- 
diana yearly  meetings,  which  consumed  a  month's 
time. 

Our  next  appointment  was  at  Winthrop  Center, 
Maine.  We  went  direct  from  Jamestown,  Ohio,  to 
Boston,  Massachusetts,  thence  up  the  coast  to  Au- 
gusta, Maine.  Here  we  met  Hannah  J.  Baily,  who 
carried  us  through  the  country  to  her  beautiful  home 
eight  miles  distant.  We  found  a  warm  welcome  and 
the  best  of  care  from  this  devoted  Christian  woman. 

Winthrop  Center,  Maine,  Octoher,  1899. 

The  Friends  have  an  influential  and  wealthy 
membership.  Charles  Baily  and  sons  and  Joseph 
Briggs  have  quite  extensive  oil  cloth  manufacturing 
plants  here,  that  give  emplojmaent  at  good  wages  to 
most  of  the  working  people  of  the  village. 

The  Bailys  and  Joseph  Briggs  are  engaged  in 
active  Christian  work  and  give  much  of  their  means 
to  assist  other  Christian  workers.  The  Friends  have 
a  beautiful  meeting  house  and  a  well  ordered  Sab- 
bath School,  and  all  the  outward  things  seem  almost 
perfect.  The  well  kept  cottages,  the  fine  old  man- 
sions, the  beautiful  New  England  homes,  embowered 
among  the  forest  trees ;  quiet  little  valleys  of  meadow 


Portland,  Maine,  553 

land,  distant  wood-crowned  hills,  with  beautiful  lit- 
tle lakes  between,  make  this  an  almost  ideal  spot  of 
rest  and  quiet  peace  in  summer.  But  even  here  we 
found  Satan  had  entered,  and  a  dividing  Spirit  had 
marred  much  of  the  good  work  that  had  been  done 
by  the  Lord's  faithful  laborers  in  former  years. 

We  remained  here  three  weeks,  and  the  Lord 
blessed  our  work.  Some  backsliders  were  reclaimed, 
and  a  few  persons  confessed  conversion.  The  Friends 
seemed  at  ease  in  Zion,  and  some  of  them  quite  well 
pleased  with  themselves. 

Here  we  met  Jesse  McPherson,  who  had  been 
pastor  of  this  meeting,  and  had  done  a  most  blessed 
work  in  former  years.  All  the  Friends  here  were 
very  kind  to  us. 

We  went  from  Winthrop  Center  to  Portland. 
Here  we  received  a  most  loving  welcome  from  Eli- 
son  Purdy  and  his  devoted  Christian  wife.  The  son 
of  peace  lived  in  their  home  and  every  room  was  a 
consecrated  chamber. 

Portland,  Maine,  November,  1899. 

Here  in  this  old  historic  city  by  the  seas,  there 
has  been  a  Quaker  meeting  since  the  middle  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  and  numbered  among  its  mem- 
bers have  been  some  of  Portland's  most  honorable 
and  best  citizens. 

In  the  year  1895  the  little  brick  meeting  house  in 
which  Friends  worshiped  for  many  years  was  re- 
moved and  a  more  commodious  one  erected  in  its 
place.  A  fresh  impetus  has  been  given  to  the  meet- 
ing in  the  past  few  years. 

The  Friends  have  adopted  what  they  term  the 
*^ Pastoral  System,"  and  for  the  past  four  years  Elli- 
son Purdy  has  been  the  pastor,  and  he  with  his  godly 
Christian  wife  have  cared  for  the  flock  and  the  meet- 


554  Portland,  Maine, 

ing  has  largely  increased  in  spirituality  and  num- 
bers. 

We  conclude  the  notice  of  this  meeting  by  giv- 
ing part  of  a  notice  clipped  from  one  of  the  Portland 
daily  papers : 

There  is  at  this  time  a  series  of  meetings  in 
progress  at  the  Friends  Church  on  Oak  street,  con- 
ducted by  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame,  the  widely 
known  Evangelists  from  Jamestown,  Ohio.  These 
meetings  have  been  in  session  for  the  past  two  weeks, 
and  have  been  of  marked  Spiritual  power ;  the  mem- 
bership are  being  greatly  blessed,  there  are  many 
seekers  and  many  have  been  converted ;  the  large  au- 
dience room  is  nightly  crowded,  and  large  numbers  of 
people  are  coming  from  the  other  churches. 

Last  night  Mr.  Frame  gave  a  Scripture  lesson 
concerning  the  authority  for  women  preaching,  and 
Mrs.  Frame  gave  some  of  her  experience  and  call  to 
the  ministry,  and  it  was  a  most  marvelous,  eloquent 
and  thrilling  story,  setting  forth  how  God  had  led 
her  and  thousands  had  been  brought  to  Christ.  She 
electrified  and  kept  spell-bound  the  immense  audi- 
ence that  filled  all  the  available  space,  and  many  who 
came  as  skeptics  with  regard  to  women  as  preachers, 
at  the  conclusion  of  her  discourse  were  ready  to  say : 
**  Surely  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  God  was  upon  her,  and 
that  he  had  called,  and  anointed  her  to  preach  the 
Gospel.'' 

This  was  the  first  series  of  meetings  ever  held 
among  Friends  at  Portland.  One  prominent  woman, 
the  wife  of  a  Judge,  and  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church,  who  had  drifted  into  Unitarianism, 
came  under  great  conviction  for  sin.  She  came  to 
Esther  at  our  home,  and  while  Esther  knelt  with  her 
in  prayer,  she  was  converted,  and  exclaimed,  "Oh, 
Mrs.  Frame,  I  never  believed  before  that  I  could 


H.  W.  Longfellow's  Home,  555 

know  I  was  saved,  but  now  I  know  my  sins  are  all 
forgiven." 

Portland,  Maine,  Novemher,  1899. 

An  old  sea  captain  came  to  the  meetings,  and 
one  night  when  those  were  asked  to  stand  up  who 
desired  the  prayers  of  the  church,  this  man  arose  and 
said:  **I  am  a  sinner,  and  have  attended  some  of 
your  meetings.  I  have  crossed  the  ocean  many  times 
and  have  neglected  Christ  until  now ;  pray  for  me,  I 
am  going  to  be  a  Christian."  The  next  night  he  was 
at  the  meeting  and  testified  that  he  was  converted. 
Since  we  came  home  we  received  a  letter  from  this 
*'old  sailor,"  postmarked  at  Algiers,  in  far-off 
Africa,  and  in  this  letter  he  says:  ''I  am  far  away 
from  where  I  heard  you  preach,  and  as  I  came  here 
we  had  one  of  the  most  severe  storms  that  I  have 
ever  known,  but  Jesus  was  with  me,  and  I  am  still 
saved.  I  shall  never  see  you  again  in  this  life,  but  I 
shall  meet  you  in  the  port  of  heaven  when  my  ship 
comes  in.    Oh !  I  am  so  glad  I  ever  heard  you  preach. ' ' 

H.  W.  Longfellow's  Old  Home. 

On  November  18th  we  visited  the  home  where 
our  great  American  poet,  H.  W.  Longfellow,  lived  in 
his  boyhood— until  he  was  sent  away  to  college.  In 
the  time  of  his  mature  manhood,  and  in  the  zenith  of 
his  fame  as  a  poet,  he  often  came  back  to  the  dear 
old  home  in  Portland. 

The  old  home  is  a  three-story  brick  house  stand- 
ing a  little  way  back  from  Congress  street,  in  the 
business  part  of  the  city.  It  was  built  in  the  year 
1784.  There  is  a  quaint  little  wooden  porch  at  the 
front  entrance,  and  on  the  old-fashioned  door  is  an 
iron  knocker.    We  gave  two  or  three  wraps  with  this 


556  H,  W.  Longfellow* s  Home. 

contrivance  by  lifting  it  and  then  letting  it  fall 
against  the  iron  plate.  An  attendant  came  to  the 
door  and  admitted  us  into  the  reception  hall.  This 
hall  is  six  or  eight  feet  wide  and  twice  as  long  and 
runs  half  way  across  the  main  building.  On  the 
right  hand  side  of  the  hallway  there  is  a  large  needle- 
work landscape  picture  covering  half  of  the  side  wall 
and  said  to  have  been  wrought  by  the  poet's  sister. 
To  the  left  is  the  family  sitting-room,  filled  with  the 
dear  old  things  of  the  Longfellow  family,  relics  of 
the  old  Colonial  times,  that  carry  us  backward  more 
than  one  hundred  years. 

One  sister,  of  all  the  household  is  yet  here,  and 
she  an  invalid. 

We  went  into  the  room  where  the  great  poet 
wrote  that  sweet  and  pathetic  little  poem,  *'The 
Rainy  Day.''  The  wind  was  moaning  through  the 
branches  of  the  great  elm  trees  whose  long  arms 
bung  over  the  house  and  swung  against  the  windows. 
The  cold  and  gray  November  clouds  were  pouring 
down  a  misty  rain,  and  it  seemed  that  the  poet's 
spirit  was  here  and  standing  beside  us  in  the  room. 

As  we  gazed  so  intently  at  all  we  saw,  the  woman 
who  accompanied  us  could  not  understand  us.  She 
viewed  us  as  mere  curiosity  seekers,  so  we  bade  her 
good-bye  and  left  the  dear  old  home,  pondering  the 
words  of  the  Hebrew  seer,  *' We  all  do  fade  as  a  leaf." 

We  now  turned  our  steps  homeward,  passing 
down  the  coast,  through  the  historic  cities,  arriving 
at  Boston  about  eleven  o'clock;  and  as  our  train 
would  not  leave  for  the  West  until  two  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  we  spent  the  few  hours  at  the  *^01d  Town 
House,"  standing  at  the  head  of  State  street  in  this 
metropolis  of  New  England. 


Old  State  House,  Boston.  557 


Old  State  House ^  Boston,  Mass.,  Novemher,  1899. 

This  old  Town  House  is  one  of  the  chief  historic 
buildings  in  the  United  States.  The  first  town  house 
was  erected  in  1658  and  stood  until  1711,  when  it  was 
destroyed  by  fire. 

Steps  were  taken  on  the  17th  of  October  follow- 
ing (1712)  and  the  present  building  was  erected. 

There  was  a  notable  fire  December  9th,  1747  that 
greatly  ravaged  the  interior,  but  this  damage  was 
restored  in  the  course  of  the  following  year,  and  to- 
day this  old  house  remains  substantially  as  it  was 
built  in  the  ''old  Colonial  days,"  and  it  looks  down 
upon  modern  State  street  wherein  remains  no  other 
relic  of  the  ancient  time. 

In.  1760  the  accession  of  George  the  Third  to 
the  English  Throne  was  proclaimed  with  beat  of 
drum  and  blast  of  trumpet  from  the  balcony  under 
the  east  window  of  the  Town  House. 

In  1761  came  the  famous  plea  of  James  Otis, 
Jr.,  in  the  Representatives'  Hall  of  this  structure 
against  the  "Writs  of  Assistance,"  followed  by  num- 
erous manifestations  of  patriotic  sentiment,  promi- 
nent among  which  stands  the  record  of  the  meetings 
called  in  Faneuil  Hall  by  the  Colonists  to  protest 
against  the  ''^  Stamp  Act,''  and  the  imposition  of  the 
tax  on  tea. 

Here  in  this  building  we  now  visited  the  "Child 
Liberty  was  born." 

We  stood  in  the  very  room  where  Adams,  Han- 
cock and  Otis  spoke  and  gazed  through  the  same 
windows  from  where  Hutchinson  and  Oliver  viewed 
the  patriotic  processions  of  Boston  citizens  on  July 
18th,  1776.  From  the  east  window  of  "The  Council 
Chamber"  the  immortal  sentences  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence  were  first  read  to  the  citizens  of 


558  Lynn,  Indiana, 

this  ancient  town.  We  stood  and  gazed  out  of  this 
window  while  our  minds  were  flooded  with  the  memo- 
ries of  the  historic  march  of  more  than  a  hundred 
years.  We  wandered  through  the  old  building  and 
gazed  with  delight  upon  the  relics  of  the  old  Colonial 
days,  and  said  to  ourselves, 

"My  country,  'tis  of  thee, 
Sweet  Land  of  Liberty ! 
Of  thee  I  sing." 

But  our  time  was  up  and  so  we  returned  to  our 
train  and  were  soon  on  our  homeward  journey  where 
we  arrived  the  following  day  and  found  our  loved 
ones  well. 

Lynn,  Randolph  County,  Indiana,  January  12,  1900. 

We  remained  at  home  until  January  12th,  1900, 
when  we  went  to  Lynn,  Randolph  County,  Indiana, 
to  hold  a  series  of  meetings  in  Friends  meeting- 
house. The  house  was  a  mile  out  in  the  country,  but 
on  a  good  pike.  The  Lynn  meeting  was  composed 
largely  of  those  who  had  always  been  Friends,  and 
there  was  a  body  of  devoted  Christians  who  belonged 
to  this  meeting.  They  had  no  pastor,  in  the  common 
understanding  of  that  term,  but  there  were  three 
good  and  devoted  ministers  who  belonged  to  the 
meeting,  and  some  one  of  them  was  always  there, 
and  as  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  led  them  they  preached 
the  Gospel.  There  was  no  way  marked  out  by  which 
the  meetings  were  expected  to  be  conducted,  but  a 
marked  simplicity  pervaded  the  people  in  their  pub- 
lic assemblies.  This  seemed  in  some  sense  to  be  a 
typical  Friends  meeting,  where  the  freedom  of  the 
spirit  was  allowed  so  that  all  might  exercise  their 
gifts  as  the  spirit  gave  them  utterance,  and  yet  there 
was  no  confusion. 

It  was  truly  refreshing  to  find  this  meeting  free, 
largely  from  per  functionary  service.    But  with  all 


Lynn,  Indiana.  559 

this  there  were  many  of  the  young  men  and  women, 
even  among  Friends,  who  were  unconverted,  and 
there  were  many  sinners  in  the  community. 

The  meetings  were  well  attended  from  the  first, 
and  there  was  a  hungering  and  thirsting  for  the 
Gospel. 

On  the  22d  inst.,  a  little  more  than  one  week 
from  the  time  the  meetings  began,  I  wrote  this  to  our 
daughters  at  Jamestown:  ''This  is  noonday  and  a 
beautiful  day,  the  atmosphere  bracing.  We  are  hav- 
ing wonderful  meetings.  'J.  real  old-fashioned  re- 
vival.' Yesterday  the  house  was  crowded,  and  last 
night  people  enough  came  to  fill  the  house  twice,  and 
there  were  a  good  many  converted.  Each  night  peo- 
ple came  from  six  to  eight  miles ;  the  whole  conomu- 
nity  seems  to  be  pervaded  with  the  spirit  of  the  Lord. 
We  have  faith  in  God,  and  he  is  with  us  in  power." 

Again  we  copy  part  of  a  letter  written  three  days 
later  by  Esther : 

''Lynn,  Indiana,  first  month,  25th,  1900. 

"My  Dear  precious  ones :  I  have  been  intending 
to  write  you,  but  have  been  quite  tired ;  our  work  has 
been  heavy;  great  crowds  have  been  attending  the 
meetings,  some  times  as  many  out  doors  as  in  the 
house.  Last  night  by  five  o'clock  people  were  com- 
ing; every  place  in  the  house  was  filled,  the  aisles 
crowded,  all  around  the  pulpit  filled,  and  hardly 
standing  room  for  the  speakers.  More  than  one 
hundred  have  been  saved  up  to  the  present  time,  and 
more  than  one-half  of  them  are  young  men,  and 
many  heads  of  families  are  converted.  Sometimes 
they  come  forward  by  whole  families. 

"People  are  being  converted,  both  at  the  day  and 
night  meetings.  People  say  there  never  was  such  a 
marvelous  meeting  here.  This  revival  is  surely  from 
heaven.  Last  night  the  weather  being  warm,  an  im- 
mense crowd  of  people  came,  and  when  the  house  was 


560  Lynn,  Indiana. 

filled  there  were  as  many  outside  as  in  the  house,  and 
they  stood  in  the  doorway,  and  at  the  windows,  and 
there  being  some  trees  close  to  the  sides  of  the  house, 
and  near  the  windows,  some  young  men  climbed  into 
those  trees  and  made  them  seats  by  putting  boards 
across  the  limbs,  and  remained  there  quietly  listening 
to  the  preaching,  being  intensely  interested.  Oh!  it 
is  a  wonderful  meeting.    Thy  loving  mother, 

''Esther  G.  Frame.''' 

''P.  S.— I  have  had  another  touch  from  the 
Lord  and  he  is  strengthening  my  body.  The  Lord 
has  been  abundantly  with  us  in  this  battle ;  more  than 
one  hundred  have  been  saved  and  the  end  is  not  yet." 

We  were  now  in  that  part  of  Indiana  where  we 
commenced  our  work  in  the  fall  of  1868  and  winter 
and  summer  of  1869.  Many  of  the  older  Friends 
with  whom  we  were  acquainted  had  been  removed  by 
death  and  many  who  were  then  little  boys  and  girls, 
were  now  men  and  women  with  families  and  were  the 
leading  people  in  the  community. 

A  remarkable  feature  of  these  meetings  was  the 
large  number  of  men  who  came;  fully  two-thirds  of 
all  the  audiences  were  men,  and  there  were  more  con- 
versions among  this  class  than  among  any  other. 
We  had  most  excellent  workers  among  the  members, 
and  especially  the  three  ministers  of  whom  we  spoke, 
Ira  Johnson,  Charles  Pickett  and  Brother  Hinshaw, 
all  godly  men. 

We  remained  here  until  the  third  of  March, 
1900,  and  there  were  as  many  as  one  hundred  and 
fifty  made  profession  of  saving  faith  in  Christ. 

Mostly  people  came  forward  for  the  prayers  of 
the  church,  but  some  were  converted  at  their  homes, 
after  returning  from  the  meetings ;  others  were  saved 
while  the  meetings  were  in  progress  during  the 
preaching  and  testimony  meetings,  and  at  all  times 


Carmel,  Iiidiana,  561 

there  was  great  liberty  and  freedom  in  tiie  meetings 
for  prayer  and  testimony. 

We  exercised  a  kind  of  general  supervision  over 
the  meetings,  but  often  when  the  house  was  well  filled 
some  one  would  kneel  in  the  audience  and  pour  forth 
their  desires  to  God  in  vocal  prayer,  asking  that  the 
Spirit  might  awaken  the  unsaved  and  bring  them  to 
repentance,  or  that  the  Lord  might  touch  the  heart 
of  some  of  the  backslidden  and  bring  them  to  Christ. 
Then  some  one  would  ask  prayer  for  a  son,  or  a 
daughter,  a  neighbor,  or  it  might  be  some  teacher 
would  pray  for  their  Sabbath  School  class.  Then 
some  one  would  sing  a  stanza  or  two  of  some  hynm, 
in  the  power  of  the  spirit,  while  the  joy  of  the  Lord 
filled  the  hearts  of  the  people.  The  manifestation 
of  the  Spirit  was  given  to  many ;  for  the  profit  of  all. 

On  the  29th  inst.  we  went  to  our  little  home, 
Jamestown,  Ohio,  where  we  remained  a  few  days. 

Carmel,  Indiana,  February  5th,  1900. 

Thomas  Bro^vn,  pastor  of  Friends  Church  at 
Carmel,  Indiana,  twenty-five  miles  north  of  Indian- 
apolis, had  been  urging  us  to  come  and  hold  a  series 
of  meetings  at  that  place. 

We  went  from  Jamestown  on  February  5th, 
1900,  and  began  a  series  of  meetings  there  about  the 
6th  inst.  The  weather  was  cold  and  stonii}^,  the 
** North  West"  winds  swept  over  the  country  and 
hurled  the  snow  in  blinding  sheets  over  the  houses  of 
the  village,  and  piled  it  in  great  heaps  in  the  narrow 
little  alleys  and  filled  the  hollows  along  the  roadsides, 
but  the  people  came  and  soon  the  house  was  filled 
nightly,  and  the  meetings  were  large  in  the  day  time. 
Friends  provided  us  a  good  home  with  Dr.  Hershey 
and  wife,  who  took  most  excellent  care  of  us  while 
our  meetings  continued. 


562  Paoli,  Indiana. 

More  than  one  hundred  were  converted  at  these 
meetings,  and  quite  a  number  joined  with  Friends. 
To  speak  further  of  our  work  would  be  to  repeat  the 
manifestations  of  the  wonderful  work  at  Lynn.  We 
were  both  of  us  sick  with  lagrippe  much  of  the  time 
we  were  at  Carmel,  and  though  the  house  was 
crowded  and  many  seekers  nightly  were  at  the  altar 
for  prayer,  we  closed  our  work  here  on  Saturday  the 
23d  and  went  home. 

Our  next  appointment  was  at  Paoli,  Orange 
county,  Indiana,  near  the  celebrated  French  Lick 
Springs.  Esther  was  quite  sick  and  remained  at 
home  one  week  after  I  had  gone.  I  arrived  at  Paoli 
about  March  5th  and  commenced  meetings.  The  peo- 
ple were  hungry  for  the  gospel  and  I  had  much  lib- 
erty in  preaching.  Esther  came  in  one  week  and  the 
Lord  blessed  us  with  conversions  from  the  beginning. 
The  teachers  from  the  High  School  with  their  stu- 
dents came  to  the  meetings  the  second  week,  and 
many  of  them  gave  their  hearts  to  the  Lord. 

Paoli,  Indiana,  March  5th,  1900. 

The  revival  spirit  spread  over  the  town  and  out 
in  the  country,  and  as  Esther  was  not  well  when  she 
came,  I  had  to  take  care  of  the  day  meetings  most 
of  the  time  without  her.  I  had  not  recovered  from 
an  attack  of  malaria  that  I  had  while  we  were  at 
Oarmel,  and  at  the  conclusion  of  the  second  weeks' 
meeting  I  was  compelled  to  go  to  my  room  and  re- 
main there.  I  was  very  sick  for  a  time  with  an  at- 
tack of  acute  pneumonia  and  general  derangement  of 
the  whole  system.    Esther  preached  and  conducted 

the  meetings  and  then  came  home  and  nursed  me. 

But  we  had  commenced  the  battle  against  sin, 
and  were  now  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  and  it 
seemed  cowardice  to  abandon  the  work  as  long  as  one 


Paoli,  Indiana.  563 

of  us  was  able  to  attend  the  meetings.  The  house 
was  nightly  crowded  and  penitents  were  thronging 
the  altar,  and  when  Esther  came  home  from  the 
meeting  at  night  and  reported  how  the  Lord  was 
blessing  the  meetings,  though  I  was  so  sick  and  suf- 
fering much  pain,  and  Esther  was  weary  and  almost 
too  sick  to  go  out  under  ordinary  circumstances,  she 
continued  for  a  week  longer  until  the  meetings  cul- 
minated in  a  great  victory  for  the  Lord. 

I  was  now  a  little  better  and  attended  one  or  two 
of  the  meetings  before  we  closed,  but  it  seemed  the 
time  had  come  for  us  to  conclude  our  work  at  Paoli, 
though  the  people  pleaded  for  us  to  remain  a  little 
longer.  But  we  could  not  go  on,  and  we  felt  that  our 
dear  Lord  and  Master  who  had  so  marvelously 
blessed  us  all  through  the  winter  campaign  and  set 
his  seal  to  the  work,  would  excuse  us  from  further 
service  at  this  place,  and  we  returned  to  our  home  in 
Ohio. 

At  Home,  Jamestown,  Ohio,  April,  1900. 

We  remained  at  home  through  April  and  May, 
Esther  attending  to  the  household  affairs  and  I  ar- 
ranging some  garden,  and  planting  some  vegetables 
for  our  use  during  the  summer,  for  though  our  work 
had  been  constant,  and  among  those  who  were  well 
supplied  with  outward  means,  we  found  it  necessary 
to  practice  rigid  economy  in  order  to  live,  and  at  all 
retain  the  little  home  that  we  had  bargained  for  in 
the  year  1881,  and  from  time  to  time  since  paid  lit- 
tle sums  on  it,  the  house  being  under  mortgage,  and 
the  interest  on  the  mortgage  due,  which  took  one- 
half  of  all  we  had  earned,  aside  from  paying  our  rail- 
way fare  for  the  last  six  months,  and  this  six  months 
of  series  of  meetings  was  to  supply  us  for  the  whole 


564  Reports, 

of  the  year,  as  we  received  only  such  amounts  as  the 
peoj^le,  where  we  labored,  chose  to  give  us. 

And  though  it  has  often  been  reported  by 
Friends  and  others  that  we  would  not  hold  meetings 
unless  the  people  would  agree  to  give  us  a  certain 
sum  which  we  demanded,  there  is  no  truth  in  such 
statements,  though  sometimes  we  have  received 
offers  of  certain  amounts,  these  offers  have  not  de- 
termined our  going,  as  we  have  made  it  an  invariable 
practice  to  take  the  matter  of  all  meetings  and  places 
to  the  Lord  in  prayer,  to  know  the  mind  of  the  Spirit, 
and  being  persuaded  that  the  Lord  w^as  directing  we 
followed  his  leadings  to  the  best  of  our  knowledge. 
Often  denying  places  where  promises  of  money  were 
made,  and  going  to  small  meetings  and  poor  com- 
munities where  we  knew  we  would  receive  but  little, 
if  even  sufficient  to  pay  our  railway  fare.  We  state 
these  things  not  to  complain,  but  we  feel  that  we 
should  speak  plainly  in  regard  to  such  things,  the 
same  as  any  other. 

Another  thing  that  has  been  very  apparent  all 
through  the  years  of  our  arduous  labors  and  trav- 
els, is  that  those  who  made  the  most  complaint  in  re- 
gard to  paying  the  workers  anything,  paid  the  small- 
est amount  of  any  others,  and  most  of  them  paid 
nothing  at  all. 

"The  laborer  is  worthy  of  his  hire,"  and  it  is  a 
small  thing  to  give  temporal  things  to  those  who  have 
sown  spiritual  things.  And  God  will  not  hold  the 
church  guiltless  who  allows  their  faithful  ministers 
to  go  without  the  comforts  of  life,  and  especially 
when  they  are  old. 

Tent  Meeting  Near  Stantintown,  Ohio,  June  13th, 

1900. 

About  the  13th  of  June  we  went  to  assist  Alum 
Creek  monthly  meeting  to  hold  a  tent  meeting  for  ten 


Byhalia,  Ohio.  565 

days.     L.  A.  Benedict  (lie  was  an  Elder  of  Almn 

Creek  monthly  meeting)  sent  for  us ;  as  he  was  chair- 
man of  the  connnittee  appointed  to  hold  the  meeting. 
We  were  with  the  dear  Friends  over  two  Sabbaths ; 
the  meetings  were  good,  and  some  were  converted. 

From  this  tent  meeting  we  went  to  the  little  vil- 
lage of  Byhalia  to  attend  another  tent  meeting. 
Brother  Ezra  C.  Pearson  was  pastor  of  this  meet- 
ing. We  made  our  home  with  him  and  his  dear  wife. 
They  were  most  lovely  Christians  and  we  had  sweet 
rest  with  them. 

The  Friends  had  no  meeting  house ;  it  had  been 
burned  the  year  before,  but  they  were  preparing  to 
rebuild.  The  Lord  w^onder fully  poured  out  his  spirit 
in  this  meeting.  A  great  business  man,  a  stock 
trader,  who  had  once  made  profession  of  relig- 
ion, but  was  now  far  from  the  Lord.  The  first  day 
he  attended  the  meeting  he  was  greatly  convicted, 
and  finally,  after  much  entreaty  by  his  wife  and  some 
personal  friends,  he  arose  for  prayer  and  next  day 
was  marvelously  converted. 

Byhalia,  Ohio,  June  2oth,  1900. 

Notv  he  could  not  see  why  those  who  were  not 
saved  did  not  immediately  become  Christians,  and 
in  the  glow  of  his  new  found  joy,  he  exhorted  his  for- 
mer companions  in  sin  to  come  and  be  saved,  and 
thus  gave  the  best  evidence  that  he  himself  had  found 
the  Christ.  The  spirit  of  Christ  is  always  a  mission- 
ary spirit,  and  when  we  become  careless  as  to  the  sal- 
^ation  of  others,  we  may  well  question  our  own  stand- 
ing with  the  Saviour  and  seek  restoration  and  return 
to  our  first  love. 

Many  people  are  backslidden  who  do  not  loiow 
it.    They  are  at  ea^e  in  Zion. 

One  night  as  Esther  finished  her  sermon  and  sat 
down,  she  was  overcome  with  nervous  prostration, 


566  Alum  Creek  Meeting. 

and  I  attempted  to  get  her  out  of  the  crowded  tent, 
but  she  could  walk  only  a  few  steps,  though  I 
held  her  up  with  all  my  strength ;  she  sank  down  just 
outside  the  tent  and  it  seemed  for  a  time  that  she  had 
preached  her  last  sermon,  and  in  the  midst  of  this 
blessed  revival  the  Lord  had  called  for  her. 

It  was  an  impressive  scene  as  the  throng  of  peo- 
ple gathered  around  us;  Esther  stricken  down,  and 
myself  sitting  on  the  ground,  holding  her ;  there  was 
no  sound  from  any  of  the  throng,  only  the  labored 
breathing  of  the  multitude  disturbed  the  quiet,  but  I 
prayed  that  the  Mighty  One,  who  stilled  the  waters 
on  boisterous  Gallilee,  who  opened  the  eyes  of 
the  blind,  and  raised  the  dead,  would  lay  his  hand  of 
power  upon  my  dear  one,  who  was  his  devoted  ser- 
vant and  minister,  and  as  my  prayer,  with  the  pray- 
ers of  the  devoted  Christians  who  stood  round  us 
went  up  to  God,  He  heard  our  petitions,  and  breathed 
anew  into  her  the  forces  of  life,  and  she  was  soon 
able  to  be  taken  to  our  home,  at  Brother  Pearson's. 
/  am  sure  that  it  was  in  answer  to  prayer  that  she 
was  restored  to  us.    To  God  he  all  the  glory. 

By  the  next  night,  though  she  was  still  quite 
frail,  she  insisted  that  she  must  go  to  meeting,  for 
she  had  a  message  for  the  people.  She  preached  with 
Tmusual  clearness  and  power,  and  the  Lord  by  his 
Holy  Spirit  swept  that  audience  as  the  wind  temp- 
est sweeps  the  forest  in  the  midst  of  the  storm,  and 
when  an  invitation  was  given  for  seekers  to  come  for- 
ward for  prayer  the  long  bench  set  for  the  purpose 
was  soon  filled  with  penitents,  and  many  that  night 
foimd  peace  in  believing.  But  Esther's  health  was 
such  that  we  could  not  continue  the  meetings. 
Brother  Pearson  and  wife  took  us  to  Alum  Creek 
quarterly  meeting,  where  we  had  good  liberty  in 
preaching  the  Gospel,  and  where  we  were  very  warm- 


Spencerville,  Ohio,  567 

ly  received  by  all.    From  this  quarterly  meeting  we 
returned  home. 

Spencerville,  Ohio,  Novemher  25th,  1900. 

About  the  25th  of  November  Esther  went  to 
Spencerville,  Ohio,  and  began  a  series  of  meetings  in 
the  First  Methodist  Church.  I  came  in  a  few 
days  after  Esther  did.  We  had  a  glorious 
meeting  and  many  gave  their  hearts  to  the  Lord. 
One  man,  a  great  business  man,  and  an  official  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Church,  came  imder  conviction, 
and  with  others  knelt  at  the  altar,  and  was  wonder- 
fully converted ;  he  had  always  been  noted  for  being 
one  of  the  most  quiet  men  in  the  church,  and  people 
pointed  him  out  as  one  of  the  most  exemplary  Chris- 
tians. But  when  the  Lord  opened  his  heart  in  an- 
swer to  prayer,  he  arose  and  shouted  aloud  the 
praises  of  God,  and  went  all  through  the  audience 
and  exhorted  sinners  to  come  to  Christ,  and  kept  re- 
peating, ^'Oh,  'tis  wonderful!  Oh,  'tis  wonderful;  I 
never  had  religion  before ;  I  never  knew  I  was  saved 
until  now!"  One  night  there  were  more  than  fifty 
at  the  altar,  but  we  were  compelled  to  close  our  meet- 
ings soon  on  account  of  Esther  not  being  able  to  con- 
tinue the  work,  and  we  returned  to  our  home  in 
Jamestown.  We  had  many  pressing  calls  to  hold 
meetings;  sufficient  to  keep  us  all  through  the  win- 
ter and  until  late  in  the  coming  spring.  We  had  ap- 
pointments already  made  at  Marion,  Indiana;  Mt. 
Pleasant,  Tennessee;  Sparta,  Ohio;  Watseka,  Illi- 
nois, and  many  other  places,  but  we  cancelled  them 
all  and  returned  to  the  little  home  in  Jamestown, 
Ohio. 


568  Turning  Aside. 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Turning  Aside,  1900. 

On  December  16th  v\^e  packed  a  few  of  our  house- 
hold good  and  went  to  Xew  Mexico  to  remain  through 
the  winter  and  for  Esther  to  be  in  a  warm  climate. 
Our  son-in-lawj  Professor  E.  O.  Woaton,  and  daugh- 
ter were  there.  They  had  rented  a  large  adobe  house, 
jjartly  furnished,  and  vre  were  to  keep  the  house  and 
they  board  with  us,  paying  us,  so  that  we  could  meet 
the  expenses.  We  arrived  here  on  Christmas,  wel- 
comed by  our  loved  ones,  who  had  all  things  in  good 
order,  and  we  had  our  Christmas  dinner  in  the  old 
adobe  house.  We  had  at  last  found  a  stopping  place. 
Hovf  strange  it  all  seemed. 

This  part  of  New  Mexico  is  an  arid  country  and 
all  crops  must  be  irrigated,  and  when  sufficient  water 
can  be  obtained  crops  suited  to  the  climate  grow 
luxuriantly.  New  Mexico  is  a  land  of  almost  per- 
jjetual  sunshine.  The  nights,  both  winter  and  sum- 
mer, are  comparatively  cool,  and  even  in  smnmer 
in  the  evening  a  little  fire  is  needed.  From  June  until 
October  the  days  are  hot,  but  never  sultry,  owing  to 
the  dryness  of  the  atmosphere. 

Sandj  Storm. 

Messella  Park,  Neiv  Mexico. 

In  March  and  April,  and  occasionally  through- 
out the  year,  there  are  wind  and  sand  storms  on  the 
mountains  and  in  the  valleys.  Then  the  fine  sand 
from  the  wide  waste  of  the  arid  and  treeless  valleys, 
mingled  with  clouds  of  dust  from  the  roadways,  fills 
all  around,  and  as  the  force  of  the  wind  increases  the 


Sand  Storm.  569 

dust  shuts  from  view  the  mountains  and  all  things 
except  a  few  objects  very  close  to  you. 

The  wind  drives  the  sand  and  dust  before  it  until 
it  seems  a  great  dark  wall  traversing  the  empty 
desert.  Sometimes  these  sand  storms  are  terrific, 
though  of  short  duration,  but  now  and  then  they  may 
last  two  or  three  days  then  they  often  blow  away  the 
great  sand  dunes  and  build  them  anew  in  another 
place.  These  sand  storms  sometimes  fill  up  the  dim 
desert  roadway  and  cover  the  coarse  grass  in  the 
draws  and  low  places.  The  wind  comes  with  a  rush 
and  a  roar  and  the  sand  is  often  hurled  with  such 
force  that  it  cuts  into  the  skin  of  man  and  beast, 
filling  the  eyes  with  dust  and  grit,  and  the  desert  and 
valley  become  as  dark  as  if  it  was  a  starless  night. 

Sand  Storm  in  New  Mexico,  1901. 

The  swarthy  Mexican  goes  into  his  adobe  house, 
shuts  the  door  and  there  remains  until  the  storm 
ceases.  You  awaken  in  the  morning  and  the  wind 
has  ceased  and  the  sun  is  sending  his  scintillations  of 
light  over  the  mountain  tops,  and  an  eternal  hush 
seems  to  have  settled  over  all  the  land,  and  the  sea  of 
azure  sky  is  without  a  cloud.  But  within  the  house 
you  find  the  sand  has  drifted  through  every  crevice 
and  everything  is  covered  with  it,  and  you  sweep  and 
dust  and  mop  and  clean  and  carry  out  what  the  wind 
has  carried  in. 

And  yet  you  feel  there  is  a  recompense  in  it  all ; 
the  sun  now  shines  so  brightly  and  the  air  is  so  pure 
and  enervating  that  it  seems  a  joy  to  live. 

We  had  felt  for  some  time  that  the  Lord  was 
calling  us  to  attend  California  Yearly  Meeting  and 
we  wrote  to  a  friend  and  told  him  of  our  concern. 
We  soon  received  a  telegram  that  the  way  was  fully 
open  and  for  us  to  come  inmiediately. 


570  California. 

We  started  from  Las  Cruces  the  following  day 
after  receiving  the  telegram.  When  we  arrived  the 
meeting  was  in  session  and  we  were  given  a  most  cor- 
dial welcome. 


Summer  of  1901,  California, 

We  attended  all  the  sessions  of  the  yearly  meet- 
ing and  had  much  liberty  in  preaching  the  Gospel. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  yearly  meeting  we  were 
entreated  by  the  Friends  to  remain  in  California  and 
enter  into  the  evangelistic  work.  Friends  wrote  us 
from  Pasadena,  Los  Angeles,  Long  Beach,  San  Jose 
and  Berkeley,  California,  and  Newberg,  Oregon. 
We  finally  consented  to  hold  one  series  of  meetings 
at  Whittier,  where  we  continued  about  three  weeks. 
The  church  was  much  quickened,  sinners  were  con- 
verted and  backsliders  reclaimed.  David  Hadley, 
with  Sarah,  his  wife,  were  pastors. 

Sarah  Hadley,  in  writing  Esther  six  months  or 
more  after  we  left,  says :  *'Thee  will  never  know  the 
great  good  that  was  done  in  our  meetings  while  you 
were  here.  Our  meetings  have  been  so  diif erent  from 
what  they  were  before.  The  attendance  at  the  prayer 
meetings  has  increased  until  they  are  nearly  twice  as 
large  as  formerly,  and  so  many  take  part  in  prayer 
and  testimony. " 

Whittier  is  one  of  the  best  meetings  among 
Friends  in  Southern  California.  From  Whittier  we 
went  to  Pasadena  and  attended  quarterly  meeting, 
and  on  July  10th  started  east  to  New  Mexico.  The 
weather  was  exceedingly  hot  through  Arizona  and 
Esther  was  sick  most  of  the  way. 

When  we  arrived  at  El  Paso  Esther  went  to 
Cloud  Croft,  where  our  children  were  camping,  and 
remained  with  them  a  time  to  rest. 


Back  to  Ohio.  571 


\We  Return  Home, 

Here  I  left  Esther  to  prepare  our  goods  for  ship- 
ment and  went  to  Ohio,  to  our  home.  Esther  re- 
mained a  little  time  and  then  came  on  to  Richmond, 
Indiana,  where  I  met  her,  and  we  attended  Indiana 
Yearly  Meeting.  While  at  Richmond  we  received  a 
telegram  that  an  old  friend  of  ours  had  died  and  de- 
sired Esther  to  preach  her  fimeral. 

We  went  direct  from  Richmond,  Indiana,  to 
Selma,  Ohio,  and  there  met  the  family  and  Esther 
preached  the  funeral  and  gave  such  comfort  as  the 
Gospel  has  for  those  who  **die  in  the  Lord." 

Many  who  were  at  this  funeral  said  the  sermon 
was  one  of  the  sweetest  and  most  blessed  to  which 
they  had  ever  listened.  Mary  Atkinson  was  a  Chris- 
tian. 

We  remained  at  home  until  October  19th,  when 
we  started  for  Newberg,  Oregon,  by  the  way  of  Den- 
ver, Colorado,  where  we  rested  all  night  with  a  friend. 
From  there  we  took  the  Rio  Grande  Railway  for  Salt 
Lake  City.  We  had  not  been  over  this  route.  After 
leaving  Pueblo  we  began  to  ascend  the  mountain 
slope,  winding  in  and  out  among  the  foothills,  follow- 
ing the  course  of  the  stream  that  constitutes  the  head- 
waters of  the  Arkansas  River,  and  here  breaks 
through  a  great  gorge  in  the  mountains. 

October,  1901,  Enroute  for  Oregon. 

A  little  after  noon  the  train  conductor  informed 
us  we  were  nearing  the  "Royal  Gorge."  We  were 
running  directly  toward  the  base  of  a  huge  mountain, 
but  soon  our  train  swung  around  it  and  before  us  was 
that  awful  rent  in  the  mountains.  They  appeared 
to  have  been  thrust  aside  by  some  giant  hand.     The 


572  En  Route  for  Oregon. 

walls  on  either  side  were  only  a  little  way  from  the 
train,  and  in  many  places  were  almost  perpendicular 
and  towered  above  us  for  many  hundreds  of  feet ;  and 
as  we  were  drawn  slowly  along  by  the  two  ponderous, 
puffing  engines,  these  walls  seemed  closing  in  upon  us 
as  if  to  crush  us  in  their  mighty  grasp.  Tliese  walls 
of  rock  were  cracked  and  seamed  and  great  project- 
ing masses  hung  far  above  the  train  and  seemed  just 
ready  from  the  slightest  jar  to  tumble,  crashing  to 
the  depths  below. 

Soon  the  space  between  the  walls  was  narrowed 
to  a  span  scarcely  wide  enough  to  admit  the  pass- 
ing train,  which  was  swung  on  iron  trestle-work 
above  the  little  river  that  foamed  and  tumbled  and 
splashed  and  fretted  and  hurried  on  its  course  down 
the  rough  and  stony  channel.  The  noisy  murmuring 
of  the  stream,  the  labored  puffing  of  the  engines,  that, 
snail-like,  dragged  the  heavy  train  along,  the  grating 
of  the  car  wheels  on  the  iron  rails  were  all  the  sounds 
we  heard,  and,  save  for  these,  silence  reigned  su- 
preme—no wing  of  bird  to  fan  the  stagnant  atmos- 
phere, or  insect  melody  to  cheer  the  solitude ;  grand, 
atvful  and  sublime  these  silent,  giant  walls  stood  in 
their  massive  strength,  fit  emblems  of  eternity,  and 
written  on  their  stony  faces  were  the  imaged  thoughts 
of  God. 

On  every  crag  and  buttressed  wall,  from  every 

From  Denver,  Colorado,  to  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah, 
October,  1901. 

lofty  peak,  to  depths  profound,  were  photographic 
pictures  hung  that  spoke  of  the  Almighty's  matchless 
skill  and  made  his  glory  known  in  depths  below  as 
starry  skies  his  glory  from  above.  A  Michael  Angelo, 
wdth  all  his  skill,  could  never  carve  such  forms  of 


Salt  Lake  City.  573 

beauty  as  are  sculptured  in  these  rocky  wilds,  or 
Raphael  paint  such  pictures. 

We  emerged  from  the  Royal  Gateway  into  a 
broad  and  beautiful  mountain  meadow  that  stretched 
away  in  undulating  billows  to  the  distant  hori- 
zon. This  meadow  had  been  an  upland  paradise, 
where  the  wild  animals  had  made  their  homes,  and 
where  they  had  quenched  their  thirst  at  the  springs 
of  water  for  a  thousand  generations. 

Across  this  wide  expanse  "westward"  we  sped 
on  our  way  toward  the  great  "Salt  Lake,"  where  the 
Mormons  built  their  "Tadmous"  in  the  wilderness 
more  than  forty  years  ago. 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  October,  1901. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  Mormon  city  we  soon 
found  Dr.  Romania  Pratt,  with  whom  we  were  enter- 
tained. Here  we  had  determined  to  remain  over  the 
Sabbath  and  attend  a  meeting  of  the  "Later  Day 
Saints ' '  in  their  great  Tabernacle.  We  went  on  Sab- 
bath afternoon  and  heard  some  Mormon  ministers. 
Their  sermons  were  all  about  the  glory  of  their  Zion, 
which  they  declared  to  be  the  only  true  church  on 
earth  and  the  members  of  it  only  are  the  Lord's  peo- 
ple. 

Salt  Lake  City  has  an  area  of  ten  thousand  acres 
and  is  laid  out  in  squares  of  ten  acres  each.  The 
population  of  the  city  is  estimated  at  seventy  thou- 
sand and  of  the  State  at  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand. 

"Temple  Block"  was  the  first  block  laid  out  in 
the  city  and  is  today  the  central  object  of  interest  to 
all  visitors.  It  covers  ten  acres  of  ground  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  an  adobe  wall  ten  feet  high  and  three  or 
four  feet  thick. 


574  The  Mormons, 

Within  this  enclosure  are  the  Temple,  the  Tab- 
ernacle and  the  Assembly  Hall  and  an  Annex  to  the 
Temple. 

There  are  eight  Mormon  Temples  in  the  United 
States  and  all  of  them  have  been  consecrated,  but  the 
most  imposing  one  of  them  all  is  at  Salt  Lake  City. 
The  north  and  south  walls  of  the  temple  are  each 

The  Mormons. 

eight  feet  thick.  The  length  of  the  building  is  186 
feet,  including  towers,  90  feet  wide.  On  each  end  of 
the  Temple  are  three  towers.  The  basement  of  the 
building  is  divided  into  many  rooms  by  walls  having 
footings.  All  the  towers  have  ornamented  spears. 
The  highest  of  the  east  center  towers  to  the  statue  of 
the  Angel  Moroni  is  222^  feet.  The  central  room  of 
the  basement  of  the  Temple  is  arranged  for  a  ''Bap- 
tismal Font"  and  is  57  feet  long  by  35  feet  wide  and 
separated  from  the  main  walls  by  two  rooms  on  each 
side. 

This  Temple  was  forty  years  in  building— not  in 
continuous  work,  for  there  were  many  interruptions. 
The  corner-stone  was  laid  with  imposing  ceremonies 
on  April  6th,  1853,  and  dedicated  on  April  6th,  1893. 
It  frequently  took  four  days  to  bring  a  single  stone 
from  the  quarry  to  Temple  Block,  and  the  road  was 
strewn  with  the  wreckage  of  wagons  and  carts.  The 
distance  is  nine  miles. 

The  building  cost  $3,000,000,  all  of  which  is  said 
to  have  been  voluntarily  contributed  by  the  church, 
except  a  few  small  donations  from  the  outside. 

There  is  no  church  edifice  in  the  world  that  has 
attracted  more  attention  in  modern  times  than  this 
Mormon  Temple  at  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

The  baptismal  font,  which  is  in  the  basement,  is 
elyptical  in  form,  and  is  of  cast  iron,  and  is  reached 


Mormon  Temple.  575 

by  a  short  flight  of  steps  at  either  end  and  rests  upon 
the  backs  of  twelve  life-sized  bronze  oxen  which 
stand  within  a  raised  enclosure  sunk  some  three  feet 
below  the  surface  of  the  floor. 


Salt  Lake  and  the  Mormons, 

It  is  said  to  be  a  genuine  masterpiece  of  art  from 
whatever  standpoint  it  is  viewed;  large,  without  be- 
ing oppressive,  and  pleases  not  less  with  its  massive- 
ness  than  with  the  chaste  elegance  of  its  design.  By 
the  most  simple  contrivance  it  can  be  emptied  in 
fifteen  minutes. 

The  Temple  holds  much  of  mystery  to  those  who 
do  not  belong  to  the  Mormon  Church.  The  threshold 
of  its  doors  have  never  been  passed  by  the  foot  of  a 
Gentile  or  an  unbeliever  since  its  dedication. 

Here  the  secret  rites  and  work  of  the  church  is 
performed  by  the  high  officials.  Here  the  rite  of 
water  baptism  is  administered  for  the  dead,  who  die 
outside  of  the  communion  of  the  Mormon  Church; 
of  course  most  of  those  who  are  thus  baptized  are  re- 
lations or  special  friends  of  some  devoted  member  of 
the  Mormon  Church  who  represent  them  and  are 
baptized  for  them  in  their  stead. 

The  Tabernacle  is  a  very  plain  building,  viewed 
from  the  outside.  To  be  appreciated,  it  must  be  seen 
from  within. 

It  is  elj^tical  in  form,  250  feet  long  by  150  wide, 
and  70  feet  high  from  the  floor  to  the  ceiling  at  the 
highest  part.  The  inside  of  the  building  is  an  oval 
arch,  without  any  center  support,  and  the  second  lar- 
gest self-supporting  arch  in  America.  This  Taber- 
nacle has  twenty  doors,  most  of  them  nine  feet  wide, 
and  they  all  open  outward,  so  that  an  audience  of 
nine  or  ten  thousand  people  can  have  egress  in  a  few 


576  Mormon  Tabernacle. 

minutes  in   case  of  accident.    In   this   respect  this 
i^uilding  is  without  a  rival  in  the  world. 

The  immense  organ  at  the  west  end  of  the  Taber- 
nacle is  second  to  none  in  the  United  States  in  ap- 
pearance and  in  sweetness  of  tone,  and  there  is  only 
one  larger  than  this  one.  The  seats  on  either  side 
and  in  front  of  the  organ  will  accommodate  five  hun- 
dred singers.    There  are,  ordinarily,  300  present. 

Salt  Lake  and  the  Mormons, 

Below  the  choir  there  are  four  rows  of  seats  oc- 
cupied by  the  high  dignitaries  and  priests  of  the  Mor- 
mon Church.  The  upper  seat  is  for  the  First  Presi- 
dency ;  the  second,  for  the  Twelve  Apostles ;  the  third, 
for  the  Presidency  of  the  States;  while  the  fourth 
and  lowest  is  for  those  who  dispense  the  Sacrament, 
which  is  only  taken  at  the  Tabernacle  during  their 
General  Conference.  They  use  water  instead  of 
wine. 

There  is  one  more  chief  church  building— "As- 
sembly  Eall/^  This  hall  will  seat  three  thousand  peo- 
ple, and  is  used  for  conferences  of  the  church  in  their 
annual  assemblies. 

We  visited  the  "Tithing  Store  House."  It  is 
tlie  custom  of  the  Mormon  Church  to  pay  their  tithes 
and  donations  in  kind. 

The  farmer  pays  the  produce  of  his  farm,  the 
herdsman  the  increase  of  his  flocks,  the  artisan  and 
the  laborer  in  day's  work.  So  at  the  "Tithing 
House"  is  gathered  a  motley  assortment  of  products 
—grain,  yegetables,  cattle,  merchandise,  furniture 
and  articles  of  various  kinds. 

These  things  are  paid  out  to  people  who  belong 
to  the  church  and  who  are  employed  as  laborers ;  they 
are  sold  and  go  to  support  the  poor ;  sometimes  they 
are  sold  for  money ;  usually  they  are  exchanged  for 


Tithing  House,  UTl 

articles  that  are  more  desirable  and  for  any  pur- 
pose needed  for  the  church,  so  that  the  church  treas- 
ury is  always  well  supplied  with  money  and  ex- 
changeable merchandise  to  be  used  in  the  mission 
fields,  to  pay  church  extension  workers  and  support 
the  church  officials.  The  Tithing  House  had  much 
the  appearance  of  a  general  merchandising  establish- 
ment with  its  groceries,  farming  implements,  vege- 
tables, clothing,  meats— all  for  sale  and  barter  and 
exchange.    The  sign  over  the  principal  doorway  is 

''Tithing  House/' 

Three-fourths  of  a  block  east  from  the  Temple 
corner  stands  the  residence  of  the  founder  of  Salt 
Lake  City— Brigham  Young. 

The  first  residence  is  the  famous  Lion  House, 
from  the  fact  that  the  figure  of  a  lion  is  cut  on  a  sand- 
stone over  the  front  door. 

The  Bee  Hive  House  comes  next— a  carved  bee- 
hive, the  ensign  of  Utah,  crowns  this  building. 

Between  these  two  buildings  are  the  offices  of  the 
Presidency  of  the  Mormon  Church.  Here  the  church 
dignitaries,  when  at  home,  receive  such  visitors  as 
are  properly  introduced,  and  in  this  building  we  met 
some  of  the  high  officials— Joseph  Smith,  the  ruling 
president  and  a  nephew  of  Joseph  Smith  of  Nauvoo 
fame,  the  first  president  and  greatest  prophet  of  the 
Latter  Day  Saints.  We  also  met  Hyrum  Smith,  a 
brother  of  the  prophets  and  the  historian  of  the  Mor- 
mons. Here  we  met  the  editor  of  the  Desert  News, 
the  leading  newspaper  of  Salt  Lake  City.  When  we 
were  introduced  to  the  president  he  gave  us  a  most 
cordial  welcome  to  the  city  and  kindly  answered  such 
questions  as  we  asked  concerning  their  church  and 
the  city. 

We  visited  the  burying  place  of  Brigham  Young. 
It  is  a  plat  of  ground  the  size  of  an  ordinary  town 
lot  and  enclosed  by  a  low  stone  wall,  the  grave  being 


578  The  Bible  and  Mormonism, 

inside  of  a  high  iron  paling.  There  are  five  of  Brig- 
ham  Young  *s  wives  buried  in  this  lot,  but  all  of  them 
at  quite  a  distance  from  his  grave.  None  of  his  chil- 
dren are  buried  here.    He  had  nineteen  wives. 

The  great  Salt  Lake  Theatre  was  built  by  him, 
and  the  Mormon  officials  attend  theatres  and  encour- 
age their  members  to  attend  them. 

We  had  much  conversation  with  Dr.  Romania 
Pratt,  who  kindly  entertained  us  while  we  were  there. 

She  told  us  the  Mormon  Church  believed  in  poly- 
gamy, as  they  always  had  done,  but  said  '*we  do  not 
practice  it  now  because  it  is  against  the  law. ' ' 

The  Mormons  accept  the  Bible  as  a  revelation 
from  God  with  their  interpretation  of  it.  They  de- 
clare Joseph  Smith  to  have  been  a  prophet  of  God 
and  that  the  Book  of  Mormon  takes  the  preference 
of  the  Bible  where  they  differ  from  each  other,  as  the 
Book  of  Mormon  is  a  later  revelation  than  the  Bible ; 
and  by  the  teachings  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  all 
things  are  to  be  -finally  settled.  They  believe  that  the 
canon  of  revelation  is  not  closed  and  that  all  the 
Mormon  people  have  revelations,  and  when  they  are 
sanctioned  by  the  church  officials,  are  binding  on  all. 

Dr.  Pratt  went  with  us  to  the  train  and  supplied 
us  with  a  basket  of  choice  fruits  and  a  lunch.  We 
boarded  the  train  and  were  soon  on  our  way  to  Port- 
land, Oregon. 

We  arrived  at  Portland  one  day  late  and  missed 
our  train  to  Newberg,  finally  getting  there  at  seven 
o'clock  at  night. 

Brother  Levi  Barr  met  us  at  the  depot  and  ac- 

Newherg,  Oregon,  October,  1901. 

companied  us  to  our  place  of  entertainment.  We  at- 
tended meeting  that  night.  Esther  was  almost  sick. 
The  journey  from  Chicago  had  been  tiresome.    We 


Newherg,  Oregon.  579 

rode  most  of  the  way  without  a  sleeper  and  had  only 
taken  a  little  limch  occasionally  in  order  to  save  ex- 
pense. 

There  was  a  good  audience  the  first  night  Esther 
preached  and  continued  to  attend  until  Sabbath  night 
when  she  returned  to  our  room  sick  and  was  unable 
to  attend  meeting  again  until  the  following  Wednes- 
day. 

From  a  variety  of  local  causes  there  was  much  to 
binder  the  work  of  the  Lord,  or  at  least  retard  it ;  but 
the  Lord's  power  prevailed,  so  that  backsliders  were 
reclaimed,  believers  were  sanctified  and  sinners  con- 
verted. Some  persons  gave  their  names  to  become 
members  of  the  church— one  whole  family. 

Newberg  Monthly  Meeting  is  the  most  important 
meeting  of  Friends  in  Oregon. 

The  great  mass  of  the  membership  is  composed 
of  those  educated  and  converted  among  the  Friends 
in  the  Eastern  Yearly  Meetings.  Many  of  them 
brought  with  them  their  local  prejudices,  and  they 
had  almost  as  many  opinions  of  organizing  and  carry- 
ing on  Gospel  work  and  meetings  as  there  were  num- 
bers of  them.  Here  we  found  the  conservative 
Friend  who  desired  to  move  carefully  in  order  that 
the  ^^wine  and  oil  should  not  he  hurt/' 

Next  came  the  political  religionist,  who  clamored 
to  have  his  own  views  discussed  in  the  meetings  and 
have  the  views  of  all  others  suppressed.  Then  came 
the  star-dust  world  builders  and  the  protoplasm  man 
makers  with  their  theories,  and  Ingersoll  mistakes, 
who  undertook  to  upset  Moses  and  to  throw  Jonah 
overboard  into  the  mystical  sea  of  the  dark  ages. 
And,  last  of  all,  the  self -constituted  reformer,  who 
disregarded  the  authority  of  the  church  and  pro- 
nounced her  apostate;  he  could  no  longer  listen  to 
the  voice  of  the  mother  who  bore  him  and  cared  for 
him  in  his  helpless  infancy. 


I 


580  Newherg,  Oregon. 

But  amidst  all  these  opinions  we  found  the  great- 
.  est  number  of  the  membership  at  Newberg  with  their 
faces  Zionward  and  zealous  of  the  Lord's  work. 

There  are  many  Friends  at  Newberg  who  are 
very  earnest  Christians  and  walk  with  Christ,  for 
they  are  worthy,  having  this  seal.  The  Lord  know- 
eth  them  that  are  his.  They  are  true  to  the  teachings 
.of  the  Bible  and  are  assured  that  ''The  Old  Book" 
will  stand.  And  so  it  will  until  Christ  descends  from 
heaven  with  a  shout  and  all  the  holy  angels  with  him. 
We  know  that 

"Firm  as  his  throne 
His  promise  stands, 
And  he  can  well  secure 
What  we've  committed 
To  his  hands 
'Till  the  decisive  hour," 

All  the  professors  in  the  Friends  College  at- 
tended the  meetings  as  much  as  they  could  and  their 
presence  and  earnest  work  aided  much  in  the  success 
of  the  meetings.  A  number  of  the  college  students 
were  converted. 

Edwin  McGrew,  the  President  of  the  College, 
is  doing  a  most  valuable  work  as  a  Gospel  teacher  in 
connection  with  his  educational  duties. 

Under  his  careful  and  earnest  eJfforts  his  stu- 
dents are  being  converted.  The  Bible  to  him  is  the 
revealed  will  of  God  and  he  teaches  it  to  his  students, 
and  all  who  come  imder  his  influence  will  learn  to 
prize  it  as  able  to  make  them  wise  unto  salvation 
through  Christ. 

Would  that  we  had  many  more  such  noble,  gifted 
and  educated  Christian  professors  in  our  institutions 
of  learning. 

Our  home  while  at  Newberg  was  with  a  Mrs. 
Barry  and  her  husband,  where  friends  had  arranged 
for  our  entertainment.  She  was  a  beautiful  charac- 
ter and  very  kind  to  Esther. 


Newherg,  Oregon.  581 

The  meeting-house  at  Newberg  is  a  substantial 
brick  structure  and  beautifully  seated  and  finished 
inside  with  hard  wood. 

The  building  is  of  modern  architecture ;  the  main 
audience  room  will  easily  seat  six  hundred  people ;  it 
has  a  wing  and  also  a  gaUery  where  as  many  more  can 
be  seated  when  occasion  requires.  The  speaker  can 
see  all  the  people  in  the  house  from  the  platform 
when  the  rooms  are  thrown  open.  The  building  is 
lighted  with  electricity  and  it  has  a  basement  that  can 
be  used  for  any  purpose  desired  for  the  convenience 
of  the  church.    The  house  is  heated  with  steam. 

William  Hobson,  from  Iowa,  who  came  here  on 
a  Gospel  mission  in  1875  and  stopped  a  short  time  at 
the  village  of  Dayton,  nine  miles  from  Newberg,  may 
well  be  called  the  Father  of  Newberg  Meeting  and 
Oregon  Yearly  Meeting. 

William  Hobson  settled  in  the  beautiful  Cheha- 
lend  valley,  a  little  more  than  a  mile  from  Newberg. 
He  felt  that  he  must  found  a  colony  of  Friends  and 
he  pointed  out  the  spot  where  the  Friends  meeting- 
house was  to  stand  and  prophesied  that  there  would 
be  a  large  and  flourishing  meeting  there  sometime. 

Esther  and  myself  were  at  Iowa  Yearly  Meeting 
that  liberated  him  for  his  Western  tour  to  visit  *' scat- 
tered Friends  and  distribute  tracts." 

We  call  to  mind  there  were  some  Friends  un- 
willing that  he  should  go,  but  another  Friend  re- 
marked, "If  he  does  not  do  much  good  he  will  do  no 
harm. ' '    And  so  William  Hobson  was  liberated. 

But  William  Hobson  builded  better  than  Friends 
knew. 

Oregon  Yearly  Meeting  has  been  established  and 
the  large  and  flourishing  meeting  of  which  he  prophe- 
sied is  a  fact. 

Jesse  Edwards,  a  prominent  Friend,  laid  out  the 
Town  of  Newberg  about  thirty-one  years  ago.    He 


582  Sherwood,  Oregon. 

and  Ms  wife  were  charter  members  of  Newberg 
Meeting.  The  friends  of  this  meeting  have  made 
many  sacrifices  for  the  church  and  college,  and  es- 
pecially was  this  the  case  with  the  first  Friends  who 
began  the  work  when  most  of  them  were  in  very 
limited  circumstances  financially.  Pacific  College 
lias  been  a  child  of  Faith  and  Sacrifice. 

Many  times  it  seemed  to  those  who  had  the  re- 
sponsibility of  carrying  it  on,  that  the  enterprise 
must  fail  for  want  of  means  to  support  it.  But 
thanks  be  to  the  Lord,  it  now  gives  promise  of  being 
one  of  the  chief  Christian  educational  schools  on  the 
Pacific  Coast. 

May  God  bless  and  sustain  it  and  may  it  continue 
to  be  a  college  where  a  guarded  Christian  education 
may  be  accessible  to  our  young  men  and  women. 

Sherwood,  Oregon,  December,  1901. 

Esther  was  so  weary  when  we  closed  our  meet- 
ings at  Newberg  that  she  was  compelled  to  take  a  few 
days  rest.  Then  on  the  seventh  day,  November  30th, 
we  went  to  the  little  village  of  Sherwood,  where 
Friends  have  a  small  meeting.  Martin  Cook  was  the 
pastor  and  his  wife  an  elder,  both  devoted  Christians. 
They  took  us  to  their  quiet  home  and  entertained  us 
Avith  true  hospitality  and  their  home  was  one  of  peace 
and  comfort. 

The  meeting  was  in  a  low  condition  spiritually ; 
it  had  been  torn  and  divided  and  the  members  had 
been  scattered,  still  there  were  some  beautiful  Chris- 
tians who  let  their  light  shine  in  the  midst  of  the 
darkness  in  the  wicked  little  town. 

A  Brother  Banks  had  held  a  series  of  meetings 
here  a  few  months  before  we  came  and  some  were  con- 
verted. Among  them  was  a  Mrs.  Bailey  and  her 
three  daughters,  and  they  became  very  devoted  Chris- 


Women's  Meeting.  583 

tians,  and  one  daughter  was  called  to  preach.  We 
know  that  the  Lord  laid  his  hand  on  her  for  this  work. 
Oh,  how  much  it  means  for  a  woman  to  be  a  minister 
of  the  Gospel!  There  is  such  need  of  God-called  and 
God-gifted  ministers,  and  especially  women  minis- 
ters. The  Lord  has  a  large  place  for  them  in  his 
vineyard,  and  the  Friends  Church  more  than  all  other 
churches,  should  take  great  care  that  such  women  as 
are  called  have  all  the  help  and  encouragement  that 
the  Church  can  give  them.  Pastors  should  open  the 
way  for  them  in  the  regular  meetings  by  giving  them 
opportunity  to  speak  and  urging  them  to  do  so.  Eld- 
ers and  members  and  overseers  should  assist  them 
with  means  where  there  is  need  so  that  they  can  at- 
tend quarterly  meetings  and  monthly  meetings.  Oh, 
the  fields  are  so  white  to  harvest  and  the  laborers  so 
few !  We  must  teach  our  young  men  and  women  that 
the  ministry  is  not  a  profession,  but  a  Divine  call, 
ajid  for  it  they  must  have  a  Divine  as  well  as  a  human 
preparation. 

No  difference  what  their  natural  and  acquired 
ability  may  be  or  how  highly  educated,  without  God's 
special  call,  and  without  the  endowment  with  power 
from  on  high,  their  ministry  will  be  cold,  formal  and 
lifeless.  If  they  are  called  of  God  the  Church  will 
be  edified  and  sinners  will  be  converted. 

To  be  called  of  God  to  preach  the  Gospel  is  more 
tl lan  to  be  called  to  reign  over  an  empire  or  to  sway 
Senates  with  the  power  of  eloquence,  to  command  the 
attention  and  gain  the  applause  of  the  whole  world 
by  our  own  wisdom. 

When  earthly  kings  shall  cease  to  reign  and 
empires  shall  have  crumbled  and  human  greatness 
shall  be  forgotten,  the  Gospel  ministers  who  have 
turned  many  to  righteousness  ^' Shall  shine  as  the 
stars  of  the  firmament  forever  and  forever." 


584  God-Called  Ministers, 

The  Friends  Churcli  needs  to  prize  its  God-gifted 
and  God-called  ministers  more  tlian  it  ever  has  done ; 
all  of  them,  though  some  of  them  may  be  but  limitedly 
educated  in  the  school.  It  is  true  they  would  be  all 
the  more  efficient  if  they  were  well  educated,  provided 
they  were  also  graduated  from  the  University  of 
Heaven. 

We  can  never  with  safety  to  the  best  interests  of 
the  Church  depend  on  the  graduates  of  our  schools 
and  colleges  as  the  only  sources  from  which  our  min- 
isters are  to  come. 

This  is  not  God's  order  and  never  has  been.  The 
most  marvelously  gifted  and  educated  and  trained 
and  Spirit-filled  minister,  evangelist,  apostle  and 
missionary  ever  known  testified  that  ''not  many 
mighty  (according  to  the  flesh),  not  many  noble  are 
called. '* 

His  testimony  is  this:  ''For  the  preaching  of 
the  cross  is  to  them  that  perish  foolishness ;  but  unto 
us  which  are  saved  it  is  the  power  of  God;"  and  he 
continues,  "But  we  preach  Christ  Crucified,  the  wis- 
dom of  God  and  the  power  of  God,  to  Jews  a  stum- 
bling block,  and  to  the  Greeks  foolishness.  Because 
the  foolishness  of  God  is  wiser  than  men  and  the 
weakness  of  God  is  stronger  than  men." 

Listen  again :  ' '  God  hath  chosen  the  weak  things 
of  the  world  to  confound  the  mighty."  And  this 
great  Apostle  states  the  reason:  "That  no  flesh 
should  glory  in  his  presence." 

God  intended  that  all  boasting  should  be  cut  off. 

The  Lord  blessed  us  at  Sherwood  and  gave  us 
some  sinners,  saved,  converted.  We  bade  dear 
Brother  and  Sister  Cook  farewell  and  went  to  Port- 
land, where  we  remained  over  the  Sabbath. 


Portland,  Oregon,  585 


Portland,  Oregon,  December,  1901. 

The  Friends  meeting  here  is  small,  the  house  be- 
ing about  four  miles  from  the  center  of  the  city  in  a 
suburb  called  "Sunnyside." 

We  remained  at  Portland  over  the  Sabbath  and 
I  attended  the  Friends  meeting  and  preached.  We 
had  a  blessed  meeting,  and  to  the  comfort  of  many, 
as  they  expressed  it.  Esther  was  not  able  to  attend. 
At  night  the  Friends  thought  best  to  join  with  the 
Methodists.  Esther  was  well  enough  to  attend  this 
meeting  and  preached.  The  house  was  well  filled 
and  the  sermon  was  greatly  blessed,  the  Spirit  carry- 
ing the  message  to  the  hearts  of  the  people.  At  the 
conclusion  of  the  discourse  an  invitation  was  given 
for  the  unsaved  who  desired  the  prayers  of  the  church 
to  stand  upon  their  feet,  and  a  large  number  arose, 
and  some  came  forward  for  prayer,  and  one  young 
man  professed  conversion  and  gave  testimony  that 
Christ  had  power  on  earth  to  forgive  sins  and  that  he 
realized  he  was  saved. 

Brother  Aaron  Bray,  pastor  of  the  Friends 
Church,  and  the  Methodist  minister  where  we  held 
the  meeting,  with  many  of  the  church  members,  urged 
us  to  remain  and  hold  a  series  of  meetings,  but  we  had 
meetings  already  appointed  in  California,  and  Esther 
vv^as  not  able  to  work.  So  on  the  23d  of  December  we 
started  for  Berkeley,  California.  Brother  Bray  and 
Brother  Martin  Cook  accompanied  us  to  the  train 
and  attended  to  our  baggage  and  kindly  helped  us  on 
our  way.  Sister  Bray  cared  tenderly  for  Esther. 
Oh,  how  much  we  are  constantly  indebted  to  such 
friends,  and  we  thank  the  Lord  for  them. 

We  had  a  good  train  and  a  good  sleeper,  but 
Esther  was  sick  and  almost  broken  down,  and  part  of 
the  two  nights  that  we  were  on  the  train  she  suffered 


586  Berkeley,  California. 

so  much  she  could  not  lie  down,  and  she  was  sick  two 
days  after  we  arrived  at  Berkeley. 

Berkeley,  California,  January,  1902. 

We  arrived  on  Christmas  morning  and  our  two 
daughters  far  away,  one  at  Chicago  and  the  other  at 
Las  Cruces,  New  Mexico ;  but  we  commemorated  the 
wonderful  gift  of  God  in  our  hearts  and  committed 
our  loved  ones  to  him.  Oh,  the  unspeakable  gift  to 
this  poor  heart-broken  world!  It  would  be  but  a 
charnel  house  without  Him. 

While  at  Berkeley  we  were  kindly  entertained 
at  the  home  of  Adison  and  Rebecca  Nalor's  with 
their  son  Frank  and  his  most  estimable  wife. 

Our  meetings  here  continued  three  weeks  and 
were  greatly  blessed.  The  Lord  gave  us  a  happy  sur- 
prise in  the  conversion  of  an  educated  young  woman, 
the  daughter  of  a  Mrs.  Miller,  who  had  attended  our 
meetings  at  New  Vienna,  Ohio,  in  1872. 

This  young  woman  was  here  to  attend  California 
University,  and,  hearing  of  our  meetings,  came.  She 
had  imbibed  some  skeptical  ideas,  but  during  the 
meetings  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  reached  her  heart 
and  she  was  converted,  and  she  and  her  mother  be- 
came members  of  the  Friends  Church. 

A  young  man,  Lewis  Smith,  the  son  of  Seth  and 
Hanna  Smith  of  Selma,  Ohio,  came  to  Berkeley,  and 
the  first  or  second  night  of  his  arrival  attended  the 
meeting.  One  night,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  sermon, 
he  arose  and  said  that  he  was  a  backslider,  and  asked 
us  to  pray  for  him.  Esther  went  to  him  immediately 
and  asked  him  to  kneel  down,  and  he  knelt,  and  she 
knelt  with  him,  and  while  she  prayed  he  sobbed  aloud 
and  sooon  found  peace  and  the  Lord  restored  unto 
him  the  joys  of  his  salvation  and  he  arose  and  gave  a 
joyful  testimony  that  he  was  saved. 


¥ 


LrTHER  B.  Gordon, 


Happy  Surprises,  587 

These  two  dear  children,  whose  parents  we  had 
known  for  so  many  years,  were  now  saved  at  our 
meetings  three  thousand  miles  from  the  old  home. 

We  will  let  the  Friends  at  Berkeley,  in  a  minute 
of  commendation  from  their  monthly  meeting,  con- 
clude this  account : 

**Our  dear  Brother  and  Sister,  Nathan  T.  and 
Esther  G.  Frame,  have  just  closed  a  series  of  meet- 
ings here  extending  over  three  weeks.  Their  labors 
have  been  greatly  blessed  in  the  conversion  of  sinners 
and  the  sanctification  of  believers.  The  great  truths 
of  the  Bible  have  been  faithfully  and  fearlessly  pro- 
claimed and  we  believe  the  seed  sown  will  yet  bring 
forth  greater  good  and  much  fruit  will  appear. 

**They  leave  us  accompanied  by  our  prayers. 
The  righteous  shall  be  had  in  everlasting  remem- 
brance." 

Taken  from  the  minutes  of  Berkeley  Monthly 
Meeting  of  Friends,  held  at  Berkeley,  January  29th, 
1902.  J.  J.  Jessup, 

Clerk  of  the  Monthly  Meeting. 

During  the  time  we  were  at  Berkeley  we  at- 
tended Sunshine  Mission  in  San  Francisco  and  held  a 
few  meetings.  A  number  who  attended  the  mission 
were  converted  and  others  professed  the  blessing  of 
sanctification. 

R.  Esther  Smith,  who  has  been  one  of  the  most 
devoted  and  successful  workers  in  the  mission,  wrote 
us  since  we  came  away,  saying:  **Your  visit  did 
much  good,  and  we  hope  you  may  return."  She  was 
converted  at  a  meeting  we  held  at  Selma,  Ohio,  when 
she  was  a  little  girl. 

There  is  a  noble  band  of  young  women  in  Sun- 
shine Mission— R.  Esther  Smith,  Carrie  and  Lucy 
Gordon,  the  last  two  named  Esther's  nieces,  daughters 
of  the  late  Luther  B.  Gordon,  who  devoted  his  life  to 
the  church,  and  the  salvation  of  souls,  and  was  one  of 


588  San  Jose,  California. 

the  pioneer  workers  and  preachers  in  the  beginning 
of  the  great  revival  in  the  Friends  Church.  Esther's 
health  continued  very  delicate,  she  being  scarcely 
able  to  ride  on  the  train  when  we  left  Berkeley  for 
San  Jose,  California. 

When  we  arrived  there  we  were  met  by  our  dear 
friend,  Levi  Gregory,  pastor  of  Friends  Church,  and 
conveyed  to  his  home  and  made  welcome  by  all  the 
family. 

Our  meetings  continued  one  week.  The  Friends 
meeting  here,  though  small  in  numbers,  is  the  most 
spiritually  minded  of  any  we  found  in  the  limits  of 
California  Yearly  Meeting. 

San  Jose,  California,  January,  1902. 

Brother  Levi  Gregory,  the  pastor,  is  much  loved 
by  all  the  Friends  of  this  meeting.  He  has  done  a 
good  work  among  them.  Though  he  preaches  at 
almost  every  meeting  on  Sabbath  days,  there  is  al- 
ways opportunity  given  for  the  membership  to 
testify. 

Following  is  the  testimony  of  Friends  Monthly 
Meeting,  as  set  forth  in  a  returning  minute  they  gave 
us  of  our  work : 

**San  Jose,  January  6th,  1902. 

*'At  San  Jose  Monthly  Meeting  of  Friends  held 
January  5th,  1902,  Nathan  T.  and  Esther  G.  Frame, 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  from  Cesars  Creek,  Ohio,  and 
having  approved  credentials  from  their  Monthly 
Meeting,  have  been  acceptably  with  us  at  this  time. 

**In  addition  to  attending  the  regular  meetings, 
they  have  held  special  meetings  at  night  for  one  week. 
The  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  has  been  preached  in  its 
fullness  and  power  by  these  annointed  messengers, 
and  souls  have  been  brought  to  Christ  and  many  have 
been  led  into  a  closer  walk  with  God.    We  feel  as- 


A  Day's  Outing,  589 

sured  that  much  more  good  will  follow  from  their 
labors. ' ' 

Taken  from  the  minutes  of  San  Jose  Monthly 
Meeting  of  Friends. 

Levi  Gregory,  Clerk. 

Pasadena,  California,  February,  1902. 

From  San  Jose  we  went  to  Pasadena.  Esther 
was  much  prostrated,  and  suffered  from  repeated 
attacks  of  Lagrippe.  We  rested  a  few  days  and  then 
commenced  meetings  at  the  Friends  meeting-house. 

This  meeting  had  been  much  hurt  in  the  past 
by  factions  among  the  members.  Friends  have  a 
good  meeting-house  here.  Charles  Tebbetts  was  pas- 
tor of  this  meeting  and  he  treated  us  with  the  utmost 
Christian  kindness  and  courtesy. 

Pasadena,  California,  March,  1902. 

A  Day's  Outing. 

I  copy  from  a  note  I  made  March  12th,  1902 : 
**  Tomorrow  night  will  be  the  last  night  of  our 
meetings  at  Pasadena.  Esther  is  so  weary  and  nerv- 
ous that  she  cannot  rest  at  the  house,  so  I  took  her  out 
for  a  drive.  The  battle  with  sin  has  been  a  severe 
and  hardly  contested  one,  a  divided  and  self -asserting 
spirit  in  the  meeting,  and  among  some  of  the  leading 
ones  a  spirit  that  freely  gives  advice  to  others  and  is 
unwilling  to  take  any  in  return.  Many  of  the  church 
members  were  cold  and  lifeless  and  many  discour- 
aged. 

"I  hoped  the  ride  might  do  Esther  good  and 
quiet  her  nerves  and  prepare  her  for  the  meeting  at 
night.  In  our  drive  we  took  our  way  to  the  base  of 
the  great  gray  mountains  north  of  the  city,  with  the 


590  Mt,  Lowe. 

blue  sky  above  them,  while  the  beautiful  town  of 
Pasadena  lay  sheltered  in  the  valley  below.  We  ad- 
mired the  common  by  the  roadway,  covered  as  it  was 
with  the  golden  California  poppy.  We  conversed  of 
the  long  journey  we  had  come,  the  many  meetings  we 
had  held,  the  privations  we  had  endured,  and  the  vic- 
tories we  had  won.  We  halted  at  the  base  of  Mt. 
Lowe  and  let  our  vision  sweep  up  to  the  sunlit  heights 
and  then  away  down  over  the  fertile  valley.  We 
gazed  on  the  fair  fields  with  their  orchards  of  oranges, 
lemons,  apricots  and  peaches.  We  noted  the  quiet 
farm  houses  surrounded  by  the  great  f ronded  palms, 
the  porches  and  the  trellis-work  of  the  buildings  cov- 
ered with  millions  of  the  most  beautiful  flowers- 
roses,  heliotropes  and  many  varieties  of  semi-tropical 
plants ;  the  walk- ways  and  carriage  drives,  bordered 
with  flaming  geraniums  and  set  among  the  dark 
leaved  pines  and  the  pavements  fringed  with  grasses. 
We  looked  at  the  palace  dwellings  of  the  millionaires, 
we  watched  the  restless  multitudes  of  tourists  clad  in 
their  costly  apparel,  parading  along  the  asphalt 
walks,  or  drawn  in  their  elegant  carriages  by  the 
well  groomed  and  rich  caparisoned  horses  and  driven 
by  their  liveried  and  vain  drivers. 

Pasadena,  California,  March,  1902. 

**We  turned  away  from  the  magnificent  street, 
with  our  borrowed  horse  and  vehicle,  and  drove  up 
the  winding  way  among  flowery  shrubs  and  grassy 
lawns  to  the  great  Raymond  Hotel  and  there  saw  the 
guests  thronging  the  porches  and  verandas  or  gath- 
ered in  groups  in  animated  conversation.  We  were 
beholding  the  glory  of  this  world ;  we  beheld  all  the 
riches  and  earthly  comforts  around  us  that  money 
could  purchase.  I  turned  and  looked  into  the  face  of 
my  poor  tired  loving  wife  and  thought  of  all  the  toil 


The  Glory  of  This  World.  591 

slie  had  endured,  of  all  the  sacrifices  we  had  made. 
I  knew  that  we  were  homeless  wcmderers  and  that  the 
strength  of  our  young  man  and  ivomanhood  were 
gone.  Was  it  strange  that  for  a  moment  a  little  feel- 
ing of  rebellion  arose  in  my  heart.  But  just  then 
Esther  lifted  her  great  brown  eyes  and  looked  into 
my  face,  and  as  the  luminous  luster  shone  from  their 
liquid  depths  and  the  solar  light  spread  over  her  dear 
face  and  brow,  her  lips  parted,  and  she  said : 

'*  *  Nathan,  I  would  rather  be  a  poor  woman 
preacher,  and  suffer  all  that  I  have,  and  be  the  means 
of  winning  thousands  of  souls  to  Christ,  than  to  have 
all  the  wealth  of  the  world,  than  to  be  a  queen  upon 
an  earthly  throne.  Let  me  live  to  make  the  world 
better.' 

**  We  turned  away  from  the  thronging  multitude 
of  worldly  pleasure  seekers  at  the  great  hotel  and 
sought  our  place  of  entertainment,  feeling  that  here 
we  have  no  continuing  city,  but  resting  on  the  promise 
of  our  Saviour  that  he  hath  gone  to  prepare  a  place 
for  us,  and  that  in  'Our  Father *s  House*  there  are 
many  mansions,  and  that  soon  he  will  come  and  take 
us  to  himself,  that  where  he  is  there  we  may  be  also.'* 

Below  I  copy  a  notice  of  our  meetings  from  one 
of  the  Pasadena  daily  papers : 

** Evangelists  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame. 

"In  connection  with  the  revival  services  now  be- 
ing held  at  the  Friends  Church  in  this  city,  an  article 
concerning  the  leaders  may  not  be  amiss. 

"While  Mr.  and  Mi's.  Frame  are  members  of  the 
Friends  Church,  and  highly  appreciated  by  it,  they 
are  purely  evangelists  for  the  world,  and  for  the  lost ; 
their  work  has  been  with  f^ll  the  Evangelical  churches. 
The  very  large  number  of  people  who  owe  their  con- 
version to  these  evangelists  vvould  make  a  mighty 


592  San  Diego,  California, 

army  for  God.  Over  one  thousand  conversions  are 
accredited  to  them  in  their  own  home  county  alone— 
Greene  County,  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  seem  to 
be  pursuing  their  work  with  as  much  vigor  as  when 
they  began,  and  if  the  younger  generation  keep  pace 
with  them  they  will  have  to  carry  on  a  campaign  of 
conquest  that  pushes  into  the  enemy's  country  and 
takes  new  territory  for  the  Redeemer's  kingdom. 

Our  meetings  closed  at  Pasadena  the  evening 
after  we  had  taken  the  ride  that  is  above  described. 

San  Diego,  California,  March,  1902. 

We  rested  two  or  three  days  and  then  went  to 
San  Diego,  where  there  is  a  small  meeting  of  Friends. 
Edwin  G.  Taber  was  the  pastor.  He  and  his  wife 
were  missionaries  in  the  City  of  Mexico  for  several 
years ;  they  are  most  devoted  Christians  and  beauti- 
ful characters.  We  came  to  this  little  meeting  at  a 
most  pressing  invitation  from  the  pastor  and  his 
wife.  We  spent  one  week  with  the  little  band  of  be- 
lievers here,  but  Esther's  health  was  such  that  we 
were  compelled  to  abandon  any  further  work.  Our 
dear  friend,  S.  L.  Ward,  who  entertained  us  at  his 
home,  furnished  us  a  horse  and  buggy  and  one  day 
we  visited  the  great  Coronado  Hotel  on  the  ocean 
beach  and  watched  the  waves  coming  in,  gazed  upon 
the  changing  wonders  of  the  mighty  deep ;  in  the  far- 
off  horizon,  on  the  wide  waste  of  waters  we  saw  the 
white  sails  of  ships  that  were  departing  for  distant 
shores  or  coming  into  port  from  other  lands.  We 
lingered  looking  until  the  evening  time,  until  the 
crimson  curtains  of  departing  day  were  closed  and 
the  stars  in  the  blue  sky  came  out  in  all  their  glory 
and  appeared  like  a  magnificent  jeweled  crown. 

We  had  intended  to  have  visited  La  Jolla  (La- 
holia),  the  gem  of  the  seaside  resorts,  with  its  seven 


Copy  of  Minutes,  1902.  593 

mammoth  eaves,  but  Esther  was  too  sick  and  we  re- 
turned to  Brother  Ward's  to  dream  of  the  glass- 
bottomed  boats  and  the  sea  gardens  with  their  beau- 
tiful mosses,  shells,  rocks,  gold  fishes  and  marvels 
and  wonders.  In  the  morning  we  returned  to  Pasa- 
dena. 

San  Diego,  California,  April,  1902, 

Following  is  a  copy  of  the  minutes  given  us  by 
San  Diego  Monthly  Meeting ; 

'^San  Diego,  California,  April  9th,  1902. 

**  Nathan  T.  and  Esther  G.  Frame,  in  the  course 
of  a  religious  visit  to  a  part  of  the  Friends  meetings 
in  California,  spent  one  week  with  friends  in  San 
Diego.  Their  company  and  Gospel  labors  have  been 
edifying  and  we  regretted  that  they  could  not  have 
remained  longer  and  continued  the  series  of  meetings, 
but  Esther  Frame's  health  would  not  permit. 

**May  the  grace  of  our  Lord  in  much  needed  rest 
restore  her  speedily  to  health  and  strength. 

^'S.  L.  Ward,  Clerk.  Edwin  Taber, 

''Pastor  Friends  Church." 

Martha  Coffln^s  Letter,  April,  1902. 
Letter  from  Martha  Coffin,  of  San  Diego,  en- 
titled 

''A  Tribute  of  Respect  to  Esther  Frame." 
**I  saw  the  bud  of  promise  just  as  the  strength 
of  womanhood  had  blossomed  into  the  active  duties 
of  life,  when  her  very  appearance  was  as  a  spring 
shut  up,  a  fountain  sealed.  The  great  future  which 
was  before  her,  pressing  the  intensity  of  her  mission 
constantly  upon  her,  as  the  love  of  Christ  constrained 
her,  her  soul  was  lit  up  with  angelic  beauty,  and  her 
ministry  thrilled  the  hearts  of  her  hearers. 

^And  now,  after  the  lapse  of  many  years,  if  we 


ii 


594  Tribute  to  Esther  Frame, 

had  the  privilege  of  asking  what  has  been  the  record, 
no  less  emphatic  would  be  the  answer:  'The  Lord 
had  called  her!'  The  polished  shaft  which  he  has 
chosen  has  not  only  chased  a  thousand,  but  brought 
ten  thousand  to  the  fold.  No  man  knoweth  them, 
but  God  knoweth.  And  yet  awhile  longer  with  the 
riches  of  God's  grace  upon  her,  she  will  press  the  bat- 
tle to  the  gate.  May  her  strength  be  renewed  like 
the  eagle's,  may  she  *run  and  not  be  weary,  walk,  and 
not  faint.'  She  is  worthy  of  *The  Alabaster  Box'  of 
precious  ointment,  and  will  not  think  more  highly  of 
herself,  than  she  ought  to  think,  as  she  rests  on  her 
well  earned  laurels,  going  down  the  slopes  of  time. 

*' Martha  Coffin." 

Las  Cruces,  Netv  Mexico,  April,  1902. 

We  went  from  Pasadena,  California,  to  Las 
Cruces,  New  Mexico.  We  bade  adieu  to  our  dear  ones 
at  the  railway  station,  except  Esther's  niece,  who 
went  with  us  to  Los  Angeles. 

Our  journey  from  Los  Angeles  was  for  a  time 
through  a  most  enchanting  country  which  lay  be- 
tween two  mountain  ranges,  with  orange,  lemon, 
apricot  and  walnut  orchards.  Many  of  the  little  rail- 
way stations  were  gems  of  beauty,  embowered  amidst 
roses,  geraniums  and  palms,  walk-ways  fringed  with 
grasses  and  shaded  by  acacie  and  pepper  trees  and 
mingled  with  evergreens,  while  the  clear  crystal 
water,  brought  from  the  mountains,  turned  this  val- 
ley into  a  fruitful  field.  When  our  train  halted  at 
the  stations  the  dark-skinned  Mexican,  the  salmon- 
faced  Indian  and  the  sun-bronzed  and  wrinkled-faced 
ranchman  offered  a  peck  or  more  of  great  golden 
oranges  and  other  delicious  fruits  in  proportion  for 
twenty-five  cents,  and  we  bought  them  immediately 
and  crammed  them  into  our  sachels  and  pockets  until 
they  would  hold  no  more. 


Pasadena,  California,  to  El  Paso,  Texas.     595 

Soon  we  found  that  Paradise  lies  close  to 
Tartarus.  The  beautiful  valley  narrowed  and  the 
mountain  ranges  were  nearer  our  train.  We  were 
running  through  a  mountain  pass,  over  the  ridge  into 
the  desert,  that  was  like  the  mountains  of  *'Gilboa, 
where  there  is  neither  dew  nor  rain  nor  fields  of  offer- 
ing."   The    green  fields  of  Alfalfa   had   vanished. 

Pasadena,  California,  to  El  Paso,  Texas,  April  8, 

1902. 

Orange  and  lemon  groves  we  saw  no  more.  The 
pure  crystal  water  from  the  mountains  and  the  beau- 
tiful flowers  were  left  behind,  the  plain  widened  and 
the  mountain  ranges  were  getting  far  away,  and  in 
front  of  us  was  a  wide  waste  of  desert  land  and  sandy 
plain. 

This  great  *' Southwest"  is  a  land  of  marvelous 
wonders,  gigantic  in  their  proportions  and  imique  in 
their  character. 

It  is  a  phantom  land,  a  dream  land,  that  at  times 
has  rough  awakenings.  The  desert  plain  is  not  the 
place  for  humanity  to  make  their  homes,  and  yet  the 
desert  has  made  possible  many  other  places  for 
homes. 

Southern  California  owes  its  fine  climate  di- 
rectly to  the  influences  of  the  Mohave,  and  Colorado 
deserts,  and  Arizona  and  Lower  California  and  So- 
nora  are  tempered  by  them. 

The  traveler  sometimes  sees  that  strange  phe- 
nomena, the  mirage,  on  the  great  areas  of  wave-rolled 
sands  in  the  dry  lake  beds  and  desert  plains,  as  we 
did  in  Southern  Arizona.  It  was  in  the  mid-after- 
noon; the  sun  was  pouring  his  white  light  from  a 
cloudless  sky  on  the  broad  sandy  plain,  surrounded 
by  high  towering  moimtains,  and  bare,  save  for  the 
eternal  snow  on  their  highest  peaks. 

Suddenly,  it  seemed,    our   train    was   running 


596  Return  to  Ohio,  1902. 

toward  a  beautiful  crystal  lake,  with  here  and  there 
little  islands  in  the  midst  of  it,  these  islands  covered 
with  grasses,  and  trees;  and  yet  as  we  sped  on  for 
many  miles  the  flying  train  brought  us  no  nearer  the 
shore  of  the  beautiful  lake  with  its  shadowy  islands 
and  long  smooth  sandy  beaches ;  and  after  a  time  it 
disappeared,  as  it  came,  and  there  was  nothing  left 
but  the  wide  desert  and  barren  mountains. 

At  one  point  in  our  journey  we  crossed  a  plain 
where  we  were  200  feet  below  the  level  of  the  sea  and 
our  train  was  running  over  beds  of  pure  crystalized 
salt,  enough  of  it  to  supply  the  market  of  the  world. 

To  the  north  of  us  lay  the  Grand  Canyon,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  long,  thirteen  miles  broad, 
measured  from  either  rim,  and  six  thousand  feet 
deep,  the  most  gigantic  chasm  known  on  the  face  of 
the  globe;  and  near  by  are  the  petrified  forests  of 
Arizona,  and  on  the  mountain  sides  are  the  ancient 
homes  of  that  marvelous  people,  **The  Cliff  Dwell- 
ers." 

But  all  told,  the  desert  is  not  an  attractive  dwell- 
ing place,  and  yet  there  is  an  attractiveness  and  fas- 
cination about  its  wildness  and  desolation.  As  a 
landscape  it  is  the  most  sublime  of  all  nature's  crea- 
tions. Nothing  can  equal  its  majestic  masses  of  bar- 
ren rock,  its  graceful  sweeps  of  wind-blown  plains, 
its  infinite  stretch  of  sky.  Then  there  is  the  intensity 
of  its  sunlight  and  the  flaming  coloring  of  its  atmos- 
phere. The  heat  and  the  dust  particles  in  the  air  pro- 
duce not  only  wonderful  tints  and  golds  at  sunset,  but 
they  throw  iridescent  veils  about  the  mountains  and 
weave  opalescent  mirages  over  the  sands. 

Mesilla  Park,  New  Mexico,  March  10,  1902. 

We  arrived  at  El  Paso,  Texas,  March  10th,  1902, 
and  went  from  there  immediately  to  the  home  of  our 
dear  children  at  Mesilla  Park.     Here  I  remained 


Itasca  F.  Wootox. 


Esther. 


St.  Petersburg,  Florida.  597 

two  weeks  and  then  went  on  to  Jamestown,  Ohio, 
leaving  Esther  to  follow  as  soon  as  I  could  arrange 
for  her  coming,  for  we  had  been  away  from  home  six 
months. 

Esther  came  home  early  in  June,  and  our  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Woaton,  came  with  her  to  remain  a  little 
time. 

For  reasons  which  will  appear  later,  we  left  the 
little  mortgaged  home  at  Jamestown,  Ohio,  and  came 
to  Richmond,  Indiana,  and  rented  a  cottage  on  Seven- 
teenth street,  where  we  now  reside,  our  children  being 
with  us  for  a  little  visit.  When  they  leave  us  (soon) 
we  must  go  on  the  way  alone  until  we  reach  the  end. 
How  much  longer  the  Lord  will  have  us  continue  in 
his  vineyard  we  cannot  tell;  how  much  more  work 
for  us  to  do,  we  may  not  know.  We  know  he  has 
been  our  hiding  place  and  refuge  through  all  the 
vicissitudes  of  life  thus  far,  and  his  promise  is  that 
he  will  not  leave  us. 


St.  Petersburg,  Florida,  January,  1903. 

We  remained  at  Richmond  until  after  the  holi- 
days and  prepared  to  go  to  Florida  to  hold  some  meet- 
ings where  a  few  Friends  resided.  They  had  written 
us  to  come  for  two  or  three  years  past. 

We  went  from  Richmond,  Indiana,  by  way  of 
Cincinnati  to  Jacksonville,  Florida,  and  from  Jack- 
sonville to  St.  Petersburg,  a  new  town  on  the  west 
coast  of  Florida,  and  situated  twelve  miles  across  the 
bay  from  Tampa. 

We  were  met  at  the  depot  by  Mrs.  N.  Holman 
and  taken  to  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Taggart's,  old-time  friends 
from  Tennessee.  Here  we  had  a  good  home  while 
we  remained  in  St.  Petersburg. 

Esther  was  in  very  delicate  health  and  we  were 


598  Braidentown,  Florida. 

rejoiced  to  get  away  from  the  storm  and  cold  into  this 
delightful  climate. 

Much  of  the  way  on  our  route  through  Florida, 
especially  along  the  St.  Johns  River,  the  vegetation 
was  fresh  as  with  us  in  Ohio  in  the  summer  time. 
The  peach  trees  were  in  bloom  and  the  plums  were 
white  with  millions  of  blossoms.  We  saw  delicate 
flowers  by  the  roadside  and  the  graceful  fern  waved 
in  the  pine  wood.  The  great  palm  palmetto  stretched 
out  their  long  graceful  fronds  and  the  delicate  pale- 
green  moss  hung  in  rich  festoons  from  the  branches 
of  the  giant  live  oaks. 

The  scenery  made  one  feel  that  we  were  in  a  sum- 
mer paradise. 

Our  meetings  at  St.  Petersburg  were  to  be  union 
meetings,  and  held  in  the  Congregational  Church,  as 
it  was  the  largest  and  most  convenient.  Brother 
Hoyt,  the  pastor  of  this  church,  treated  us  with  great 
kindness,  and  our  meetings  were  good. 

Fully  one-half  of  our  audience  were  tourists 
from  the  North  and  were  irregular  in  their  attend- 
ance, except  on  Sabbath. 

The  churches,  and  the  ministers  who  united  in 
calling  us,  were  not  united  among  themselves,  though 
there  were  some  devoted  Christians  among  them,  and 
there  was  much  good  accomplished. 

A  Mr.  Tomlinson,  who  is  doing  a  good  work 
among  the  young  and  spending  thousands  for  their 
moral  elevation,  came  to  our  meetings  and  frequently 
arose  for  prayer  and  we  believe  he  will  be  saved  and 
the  Lord  will  make  him  a  great  blessing  in  the  salva- 
tion of  many  others.  There  is  a  great  work  to  be 
done  in  this  Southland. 

Braidentown,  Florida,  March,  1903. 

Our  next  appointment  was  at  Braidentown,  fifty 
miles  from  Tampa.    We  here  met  our  dear  friend, 


Oppose  Women  Preaching,  599 

Francis  Trueblood,  who  for  more  than  five  years  had 
been  pleading  with  us  to  come  to  Florida  for  Gospel 
work.  He  met  us  at  the  dock  and  conveyed  us  to  a 
home  he  had  arranged  for  us.  It  was  difficult  to 
secure  a  good  home,  as  the  town  was  filled  with  tour- 
ists seeking  health  or  pleasure,  a  restless,  weary, 
longing  multitude,  like  sheep  without  a  shepherd. 

The  public  houses  were  all  full  and  some  of  the 
private  dwellings.  The  towns  along  the  seaboard  in 
Florida  almost  literally  swarm  with  tourists  in  the 
winter  and  lodging  and  board  of  the  plainest  kind 
are  very  high  in  price. 

The  resident  Floridians  are  almost  all  nominal 
believers  in  Christianity  and  a  majority  of  them  are 
members  of  some  church.  But  very  few  of  them 
know  anything  of  regeneration  or  the  new  birth. 

We  held  our  meetings  here  in  the  M.  E.  Church 
South.  Brother  Imans  was  pastor.  He  gave  us  a 
most  cordial  welcome  and  did  all  he  could  to  insure 
the  meetings  a  success.  He  urged  his  members  to 
attend  and  advertised  the  meetings  in  the  town  and 
in  the  country. 

There  was  much  prejudice  here  among  profess- 
ors against  women  preaching.  A  Baptist  deacon 
warned  the  members  of  the  Baptist  Church  against 
attending  our  meetings  'because  we  were  Quakers  and 
endorsed  women  preaching. 

He  declared  if  he  should  go  to  the  meetings  he 
would  be  partaker  of  the  woman's  sins.  Esther  sent 
him  word  that  he  would  have  enough  of  his  own  sins 
to  answer  for. 

The  Presbyterian  minister  attended  the  meet- 
ings for  a  short  time,  then  suddenly  left  off  coming 
and  used  his  influence  against  them.  He  came  to 
Brother  Imans,  the  Methodist  minister,  and  urged 
him  to  ''Stop  that   woman,   for,*'   said  he,  "she  is 


600  Oppose  Women  Preaching, 

stirring  up  the  people,  and  I  would  not  let  her  preach, 
I  would  not  let  her  have  the  meeting-house.*' 

But  Brother  Imans  told  him  he  would  not  stop 
Mrs.  Frame  from  that  he  would  sooner  suffer  the 
loss  of  his  right  arm  than  stop  that  godly  woman 
from  preaching. 

These  conditions  in  the  churches,  and  the  fact  of 
the  houses  being  filled  with  tourists,  and  many  of 
them  sick,  and  many  others  were  pleasure  seekers, 
made  it  difficult  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  public, 
but  we  had  good  helpers  in  Brothers  Imans  and 
family  and  Brother  Trueblood. 

Esther's  health  continued  very  delicate,  so  that 
she  was  compelled  to  remain  in  her  room  most  of  the 
time  between  meetings.  Many  times  I  had  to  carry 
her  meals  to  her,  and  as  our  room  was  more  than  two 
squares  away,  it  was  quite  inconvenient,  so  dear  Mrs. 
Imans  would  have  us  come  to  the  parsonage  and 
take  our  meals  with  them.  The  parsonage  was  near 
where  we  roomed.  Brother  Trueblood  gave  us  a 
good  room  in  his  own  house. 

Thus  the  Lord  opened  the  way  for  us  after  a 
time  of  prayer  and  waiting.  The  meetings  grew  in 
interest  from  day  to  day  and  we  soon  had  a  good  con- 
gregation and  many  backsliders  were  reclaimed  and 
a  number  were  saved. 

One  young  man,  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  dedicated  himself  to  the  ministry.  The 
membership  of  the  Methodist  Church  was  greatly  re- 
vived and  Brother  Trueblood  said  there  never  had 
been  such  Gospel  meetings  since  the  town  had  been 
built. 

Brother  Imans  said  he  praised  the  Lord  for  the 
work  done  in  the  town. 

Following  is  a  newspaper  notice  from  the  Braid- 
entown  Herald: 


i 


z 


Correspondent's  Account.  601 


*^The  Bevival  Services. 

**Mrs.  Frame,  known  as  the  Quaker  Evangelist, 
has  been  conducting  a  series  of  revival  services  since 
last  Friday  night  at  the  Methodist  Church.  While  it 
is  not  the  right  of  the  secular  press  to  enter  into  the 
merit  of  religious  affairs  or  discuss  those  who  con- 
duct them,  we  are  free  to  say  that  Mrs.  Frame  is 
unique  in  her  presentation  of  the  Gospel.  None  of 
the  common  methods  practiced  by  other  evangelists 
are  used  by  her.  She  speaks  in  a  well  modulated  tone 
of  musical  voice  and  with  such  pathos  that  many  eyes 
all  unused  to  tears  grow  moist  and  wet,  and  cheeks 
that  have  been  hardened  by  bitter  experiences  of  life, 
relax,  as  she  begs  them  to  come  to  Christ  for  peace, 
and  pardon  for  their  sins. 

* '  The  good  that  is  done  will  live  after  her.  Let 
all  hear  and  consider  her  warnings." 

There  was  a  leading  business  man  of  Braiden- 
town,  and  his  wife  (Episcopalians).  She  came  to 
the  meetings  first  and  persuaded  him  to  come  with 
her  once,  though  he  seriously  objected  to  coming,  as 
he  said  he  did  not  believe  in  evangelists,  but  finally 
came  07ie  night,  and  was  so  impressed  and  pleased 
with  the  meeting  that  he  came  with  his  wife  and 
brought  their  two  children,  little  ones,  and  brought 
some  pillows  with  them  to  the  front  pew  and  put 
their  children  to  sleep  and  remained  until  the  meet- 
ing concluded  at  ten  o'clock  at  night,  and  declared 
that  it  was  the  best  meeting  he  had  ever  attended,  and 
he  and  his  lovely  Christian  wife  continued  to  attend 
the  meetings  while  we  remained,  and  were  among  our 
most  devoted  friends. 

We  quote  a  few  sentences  from  a  letter  from 
Francis   Trueblood,    received   from  him  December 


602  Oneco,  Florida,  1903. 

26th,  1903,  ten  months  after  our  meetings  closed  at 
Braidentown : 

"The  Methodist  Church  where  you  held  the 
meetings  is  gaining  strength  all  the  time,  and  it  is  the 
only  meeting  where  the  full  Gospel  is  preached ;  the 
congregations  are  large  and  the  meetings  are  increas- 
ing in  numbers  all  the  time.  The  seed  that  was  sown 
by  you  is  bearing  a  plentiful  harvest." 

I  here  copy  a  little  note  to  Mrs.  Frame,  written 
by  a  woman  who  was  an  intelligent  woman,  but  made 
no  profession  of  the  Christian  religion.  She  attended 
the  meeting  when  Esther  gave  her  experience  and 
call  to  the  ministry  and  came  forward  at  the  close  of 
this  meeting  and  gave  Esther  a  warm  greeting  and 
** God  bless  you."    Below  is  the  note : 

''Braidentown,  March  30th,  1903. 
**My  Dear  Mrs.  Frame:— My  sister,  Mrs.  Baum, 
and  I  each  hand  you  a  small  contribution  toward  your 
good  work.  I  wish  to  express  to  you  my  apprecia- 
tion of  a  great  soul.  There  are  few  like  you,  which 
makes  the  work  which  you  have  to  do  fall  more 
heavily  on  you.    With  love  and  good  wishes, 

"Respectfully,  Frances  Arnold." 

Oneco,  Florida,  April,  1903. 

There  is  a  little  village  five  miles  from  Braiden- 
town called  Oneco,  and  we  were  earnestly  entreated 
to  hold  some  meetings  there.  A  number  of  the  peo- 
ple from  Oneco  had  attended  the  meetings  at  Braid- 
entown, so  we  went  from  Braidentown  to  this  little 
inland  place  among  the  orange  groves. 

The  influence  from  the  meetings  at  Braidentown 
had  reached  into  the  country  four  or  five  miles  and 
many  were  anxious  for  the  meetings  at  Oneco.  The 
Gospel  is  "like  leaven  which  a  woman  hid  in  three 
measures  of  meal  until  the  whole  was  leavened." 

The  Methodists  had  just  completed  a  neat  little 


Among  the  Orange  Groves.  603 

meeting-house  at  Oneco,  the  first  house  of  worship 
that  had  ever  been  there.  There  was  only  a  member- 
ship of  twenty,  and  few  of  them  converted,  but  all 
anxious  for  the  meetings.  The  spirit  of  revival  was 
already  there,  and  at  the  first  session  of  the  meetings 
some  desired  the  prayers  of  the  people  that  they 
might  be  saved. 

The  house  filled  at  an  early  hour  each  evening, 
and  there  were  seekers  coming  forward  and  being 
converted.  We  had  tarried,  and  waited,  and  prayed, 
and  now  the  time  had  come  to  ^' favor  Zion/* 

Our  meetings  here  culminated  in  a  most  remark- 
able revival,  and  many  were  converted,  among  them 
some  of  the  most  important  and  influential  citizens 
in  the  community.  There  were  more  than  thirty 
united  with  the  Methodist  Church,  increasing  their 
number  more  than  two-thirds. 

One  very  bright  young  woman,  and  a  leader  in 
society  affairs,  came  to  the  meetings,  but  said  she  had 
determined  not  to  yield  in  any  way  or  be  influenced 
by  them.  She  said  she  loved  Mrs.  Frame  and  would 
go  and  hear  her,  but  she  came  under  such  deep  con- 
viction for  sin  that  she  became  very  anxious  for  sal- 
vation, and  was  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  come  to 
an  anxious  seat. 

Two  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  gave  us  much 
help  by  their  constant  attendance  and  by  their  per- 
sonal influence  outside,  Johnson  Helm,  one  of  them, 
was  converted  and  joined  the  church. 

We  made  our  home  while  here  with  James 
Thompson  and  wife.  Their  house  was  in  the  midst 
of  a  beautiful  orange  grove,  and  the  perfume  of  the 
orange  blossoms  made  the  slumberous  sunny  atmos- 
phere most  refreshing.  Then  the  sweet  songs  of  the 
Southern  mocking  birds,  almost  all  hours  in  the  day 
and  night. 

The  whipoorwill  came  as  soon  as  twilight  had 


604  Manitee,  Florida. 

faded  into  darkness  and  the  stars  had  come  out ;  and 
when  we  had  come  home  from  meeting  and  retired, 
we  often  lay  and  listened  to  their  peculiar  minor, 
monotonous  notes,  repeated  over  and  over,  until  we 
were  carried  back  in  memory  to  the  '^old  home"  of 
our  *'childliood  days,"  and  we  listened  with  delight 
to  this  soothing  lullaby,  until  sleep  shut  out  from  our 
consciousness  all  outward  things. 

O!  this  delightful  home  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Thompson,  in  the  little  unpretentious  house,  among 
the  orange  trees  and  blooms,  and  sweet  bird  songs, 
and  where  these  loving  friends  ministered  to  the  ne- 
cessities of  our  tired  bodies,  and  especially  of  Es- 
ther's, who  was  frequently  so  weary  from  work  that 
she  could  not  sleep  until  long  after  midnight.  This 
dear  sweet  home,  and  these  loving  friends  will  never 
be  forgotten  by  us,  and  we  shall  meet  them  when  the 
crowning  day  shall  come.  We  are  sure  that  the  Lord 
has  been  leading  us  this  far.  There  is  one  more  dear 
friend  with  his  family  that  we  must  mention,  Wil- 
liam Thompson  and  his  estimable  wife  and  children, 
two  of  his  daughters,  young  women,  were  converted 
and  joined  the  church,  and  William,  though  not  a 
professor  of  Christianity,  treated  us  like  we  were  his 
own  brother  and  sister,  gave  us  the  free  use  of  his 
horse  and  buggy,  and  his  wife  offered  us  a  home  in 
their  beautiful  residence  and  urged  us  to  stay  and 
rest. 

Manitee,  Florida,  April,  1903. 

Our  next  meeting  was  appointed  to  be  held  at 
the  town  of  Manitee,  three  miles  from  Braidentown. 
Brother  Cecil  was  pastor  here,  and  also  at  Oneco.  He 
was  a  most  excellent  man,  filled  with  the  Spirit,  and 
with  zeal  for  the  conversion  of  souls  and  sanctifica- 
tion  of  believers.  He  and  dear  Mrs.  Cecil  took  us 
into  their  home  and  into  their  hearts  and  gave  us  all 


Preparing  for  Tennessee.  605 

the  loving  attention  that  we  needed.  They  were  a 
brother  and  sister  indeed. 

This  meeting  had  been  rent  by  schisms  and  false 
teachers.  There  was  a  company  of  people  here  called 
Holderites,  who  were  followers  of  a  man  named 
*' Holder."  He  taught  that  after  people  were  sancti- 
fied they  could  not  commit  sin,  and  that  whatever 
they  did  was  right,  ** because,"  said  he  "such  persons 
cannot  sin." 

This  is  a  delusion  and  a  deviPs  doctrine.  A 
woman  who  belongs  to  this  meeting  puts  a  vail  over 
her  face  when  she  prays  in  secret,  and  they  think  it 
wrong  for  them  to  attend  any  meeting  except  their 
own. 

But  despite  these  things  and  the  coldness  of 
many  church  members  the  Lord  greatly  blessed  our 
work  here,  and  many  of  the  backslidden  members 
were  reclaimed  and  we  had  some  clear  conversions, 
and  some  of  these  *' Holderites"  came  to  the  meetings 
and  the  Lord  enabled  us  to  show  them  their  error, 
and  that  God  had  but  one  law  for  all.  That  he  that 
transgresseth  God's  law  is  of  the  devil,  no  difference 
what  profession  he  makes,  or  if  he  makes  no  prof es-' 
sion  at  all. 

Preparing  for  Tennessee^  May,  1903. 

We  had  now  been  from  home  almost  three 
months,  and  the  Lord  had  been  leading  us,  one  step 
after  another ;  often  we  could  not  see  but  a  little  way, 
and  know  of  but  little  of  what  was  before  us. 

We  had  remained  longer  in  Florida  than  we  an- 
ticipated and  Friends  in  Tennessee  were  urging  us 
to  come  immediately. 

We  went  to  Braidentown  and  bade  farewell  to 
dear  Brother  Trueblood  and  took  boat  for  Tampa, 
intending  to  go  on  to  St.  Petersburg  the  same  night, 
but  we  missed  connection  and  remained  in  Tampa 


606   At  Tampa,  Fla.—At  a  Methodist  Conference, 

over  night.  We  found  we  could  not  get  to  St.  Peters- 
burg before  noon  Saturday,  and  so  went  to  the  Meth- 
odist District  Conference,  then  in  session.  There  were 
two  or  three  of  the  ministers  at  the  conference  with 
whom  we  were  acquainted.  At  the  close  of  the  ses- 
sion we  were  introduced  to  the  pastor  of  the  church 
where  the  conference  was  held,  and  he  gave  us  a  cor- 
dial invitation  to  remain  over  the  Sabbath  and  attend 
the  conference,  adding,  **And  I  will  find  you  a  good 
home."  We  accepted  his  kind  offer.  We  attended 
the  conference  on  Saturday,  and  at  the  last  session 
where  the  announcements  were  made  for  the  Sabbath 
without  knowing  it,  Esther  was  announced  to  preach 
at  the  Memorial  Methodist  Church,  Sabbath  at  3 
o  'clock  p.  m.  At  the  appointed  time  there  was  a  good 
audience  there  to  hear  the  tvoman,  and  what  the 
Quaker  would  say.  Esther  had  great  liberty  in 
preaching  and  many  in  the  audience  were  moved  to 
tears. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  meeting  Brother  Beers, 
a  minister  from  Key  West,  came  to  us  and  introduced 
himself,  and  said  *'I  came  here  on  purpose  to  get  an 
Evangelist  to  hold  meetings  at  my  church  on  Key 
West,  and  you  are  just  the  people  we  want,  can  you 
go?" 

After  talking  a  little  time  with  Mr.  Beers  we 
told  him  to  call  again  the  following  morning.  The 
hand  of  the  Lord  seemed  to  be  in  sending  Mr.  Beers 
to  us,  and  we  prayed  that  we  might  be  directed  by 
the  Lord ;  we  felt  that  He  was  leading  us  into  this  new 
field ;  so  when  Brother  Beers  came  to  see  us  the  next 
morning,  we  read  him  our  credentials  from  our  home 
meeting,  and  informed  him  we  believed  the  Lord  was 
leading  us  to  Key  West,  and  if  we  could  obtain  re- 
duced rates  from  the  steamship  company  we  would 
go,  taking  this  as  a  further  evidence  that  God  was 
opening  the  way. 


Off  for  Key  West,  Florida,  607 


Thinking  of  Key  West,  May,  1903. 

We  immediately  wrote  the  general  agent  of  the 
company,  and  received  by  return  mail  an  order  to 
the  local  agent  to  sell  us  tickets  to  Key  West  at  re- 
duced rates.  We  sent  Brother  Beers  word  that  we 
would  come  by  the  next  boat.  The  way  now  appeared 
perfectly  clear,  and  it  seemed  we  must  be  in  haste. 

After  leaving  Port  Tampa  the  weather  was  fine, 
until  the  afternoon,  then  we  had  quite  a  breeze,  which 
rocked  and  tossed  the  boat  more  than  was  comfort- 
able to  me,  and  I  went  below  to  meditate  on  the  in- 
stability of  all  earthly  things. 

Esther  remained  on  the  upper  deck  to  watch  the 
grandeur  and  beauty  of  the  rolling  waves  that  dashed 
against  the  sides  of  our  vessel  as  she  ploughed 
through  the  mighty  deep. 

A  little  time  before  nightfall  I  went  on  the  upper 
deck  and  we  watched  the  sun  go  down.  There  was 
nothing  to  be  seen  but  the  blue  sky  above  and  the 
wide  waste  of  deep  blue  waters  below,  spread  out  like 
an  immense  plain  to  the  distant  horizon,  where  the 
sun  hung  in  space,  or  seemed  to  float  like  a  great 
glowing  ball  of  iridescent  fire.  We  gazed  with  awe 
and  mingled  admiration  as  the  great  luminary  slowly 
and  majestically  settled  to  the  surface  of  the  sea, 
throwing  his  lingering  rays  of  light  on  the  darkening 
waters  until  he  sank  from  sight. 


608  Key  West,  1903. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Key  West,  Florida,  May,  1903. 

We  arrived  at  Key  West  at  10  o'clock  p.  m.  and 
were  met  at  the  landing  by  Brothers  Beers  and 
Hoges,  the  pastors  of  Rocky  Road  and  Stone  Church. 
After  a  most  cordial  welcome  they  conducted  us  to 
the  home  of  Brother  and  Sister  Parks.  Here  we 
were  most  delightfully  entertained,  while  our  meet- 
ings continued  at  Rocky  Road  Church. 

Though  there  were  four  churches  that  had  called 
us,  they  had  arranged  to  hold  a  ten  days'  meeting  at 
each  house.  We  were  to  commence  at  Rocky  Road 
Church.  Esther  was  not  able  to  attend  the  first  meet- 
ing on  account  of  sickness.  I  preached,  and  I  copy  a 
notice  of  this  first  meeting : 

At  Rocky  Road  Church. 

**  Owing  to  the  illness  of  Mrs.  Frame,  Mr.  Frame 
preached  last  night  to  a  very  attentive  congregation. 
Mr.  Frame  was  very  clear  and  simple  in  his  state- 
ments, and  pathetic  in  his  utterances;  he  grew  elo- 
quent at  times,  and  his  way  of  presenting  his  subject 
is  unique  and  attractive.  The  house  was  well  filled, 
and  the  audience  gave  close  attention.  Mrs.  Frame 
will  preach  tomorrow  night,  come  and  hear  them." 

Esther  was  able  to  preach  the  following  night ; 
the  house  was  crowded,  and  many  sinners  were  con- 
verted, and  the  church  members  were  very  enthusias- 
tic over  the  meeting. 

Mrs.  Parks,  our  hostess,  was  greatly  convicted, 
and  arose  for  prayer.  On  Sabbath  night,  with  many 
others,  she  came  forward  for  prayer,  and  went  home 
from  the  meeting  still  seeking,  and  for  a  number  of 


Rocky  Road  Church,  609 

nights  and  days  was  in  great  distress.  She  went  to 
her  own  room  and  prayed  and  came  back,  not  having 
received  the  blessing;  then  returned  and  prayed 
again,  and  came  out  with  a  radiant  face;  the  com- 
forter had  come,  and  she  was  saved. 

The  work  of  grace  now  began  to  be  manifested 
in  the  conviction  of  great  numbers  of  sinners,  and 
nightly  many  were  converted.  After  we  had  come 
from  meeting  one  night  and  were  seated  on  the  porch 
a  number  of  people  who  had  attended  the  meeting, 
called,  and  we  conversed  with  them,  and  before  they 
departed  we  had  prayer.  Our  next  door  neighbor, 
who  was  there,  was  brought  under  deep  conviction 
for  sin. 

After  we  had  retired  we  heard  some  one  pray- 
ing; it  was  this  man  who  had  stopped  on  his  way 
home  from  the  meeting ;  he  had  been  a  backslider, 
and  as  we  listened  he  poured  out  his  soul  to  God,  mak- 
ing his  confession;  it  was  a  wonderful  prayer,  and 
the  Lord  saved  him ;  and  we  heard  him  praising  the 
Lord,  and  in  the  morning  he  came  over  and  told  us 
how  the  Lord  had  blessed  him  during  the  night.  Con- 
versions were  not  confined  to  the  meetings  or  meeting 
house,  but  people  were  converted  at  their  homes,  and 
when  about  their  business. 

There  was  a  remarkable  case  of  a  young  boy, 
who  had  been  shot  a  short  time  before  we  went  to  Key 
West,  and  had  lost  one  of  his  legs.  The  case  was  a 
very  trying  one  to  his  parents,  as  they  thought  he 
had  not  gotten  justice  at  the  hands  of  the  court,  as 
the  young  man  who  did  the  shooting  had  no  motive 
but  mere  wantonness,  and  it  was  proven  at  the  trial. 
The  boy  who  did  the  shooting  was  set  free.  This  made 
the  parents  of  the  boy  who  had  been  shot  very  bitter 
against  him,  and  they  cherished  revenge.  This  young 
boy  who  had  been  shot  came  to  our  meetings  and  was 
soon  converted,  and  immediately  began  to  plead  with 


610  Cuban  Women, 

his  mother  to  become  a  Christian.  But  she  said  she 
could  not  forgive  the  one  who  had  maimed  her  dear 
boy,  yet  she  was  under  great  conviction  and  came  to 
see  us,  and  night  after  night  stood  and  asked  the 
prayers  of  the  church. 

We  told  her  the  Lord  would  not  forgive  her  with 
revenge  in  her  heart,  and  that  she  must  forgive  if  she 
hoped  to  be  forgiven.  After  many  struggles  she  fin- 
ally yielded  and  was  wonderfully  converted.  The 
mother  then  determined  to  send  her  boy  to  school, 
and  have  him  educated  for  a  useful  life,  instead  of 
teaching  him  to  seek  revenge. 

The  Lord  maketh  even  the  wrath  of  man  to 
praise  Him,  and  often  brings  the  greatest  blessings 
out  of  the  severest  trials.  The  Lord  was  now  greatly 
blessing  our  work. 

The  Rocky  Road  Church  was  surroimded  by 
many  little  Cuban  houses,  and  the  windows  of  the 
meeting  house  being  all  open  the  preaching  and  sing- 
ing could  be  heard  by  many  of  the  Cubans.  The  Cu- 
ban women  would  come  out  on  the  little  porches  of 
their  houses  close  by,  gather  in  groups  and  listen  to 
the  preaching  night  after  night.  Some  of  them  could 
understand  a  little  English,  and  they  said  to  some  of 
the  English  people,  **0!  if  that  woman  could  talk 
Spanish,  how  we  would  love  to  hear  her. "  Nearly  all 
of  them  were  Roman  Catholics.  How  white  these 
fields  are  to  the  harvest,  but  how  few  are  the  laborers. 

From  Rocky  Road  Church  we  went  to  Memorial 
Church.  This  house  was  filled  at  the  first  meeting, 
and  many  immediately  came  forward  for  prayer,  and 
the  meetings  took  on  an  enthusiasm  that  reached  all 
classes. 

Our  meetings  continued  at  this  church  with  una- 
bated interest  for  ten  days;  many  were  converted, 
the  church  membership  were  filled  with  a  holy  zeal 
for  the  conversion  of  sinners.    Backsliders  were  re- 


The  Stone  Church,  611 

claimed,  and  a  large  number  of  people  joined  the 
church. 

Our  next  place  was  "The  Stone  Church."  This 
was  the  aristocratic  Methodist  Church  of  the  city, 
and  many  said  we  could  have  no  revival.  But  the 
Holy  Spirit  came  in  melting  power,  and  many  were 
converted.  Quite  a  number  of  the  United  States  sol- 
diers came  to  the  meetings.  There  was  a  Cuban,  Ro- 
man Catholic,  who  kept  what  is  known  as  a  "Coffee 
House,''  and  restaurant  with  some  gambling  devices 
and  slot  machines.  He  came  to  the  meetings  with  his 
little  girl,  and  they  were  both  converted  and  joined 
the  church.  He  immediately  removed  the  slot  ma- 
chines and  cleared  away  his  gambling  devices;  he 
then  told  the  two  little  Cuban  boys  that  worked  for 
him  that  they  must  no  longer  work  on  Sabbath,  for 
he  was  now  a  Christian. 

We  had  a  most  delightful  home  with  Charles 
Pearce  and  wife  while  we  held  meetings  at  the  Stone 
Church.  They  did  all  they  could  for  our  comfort 
and  convenience.  Esther  had  all  the  attention  they 
could  give  in  their  dear  home.  It  was  just  such  a 
home  of  quiet  rest  and  comfort  as  she  needed.  The 
Lord's  blessing  ever  rest  upon  them. 

Our  visit  to  Key  West  was  surely  of  the  Lord. 
We  went  from  the  Stone  Church  and  held  meetings 
one  week  with  Brother  Todd,  who  was  pastor  of  the 
Congregational  Church.  The  meetings  here  were 
but  a  repetition  of  those  that  had  gone  before,  only 
the  work  had  taken  an  added  interest,  and  the  feeling 
in  the  community  was  more  intense,  and  the  meetings 
now  became  the  common  conversation  of  the  com- 
munity. 

The  interest  spread  among  the  soldiers  and  offi- 
cers in  the  barracks.  A  finely  educated  woman  phy- 
sician came  to  our  rooms  and  offered  her  services  to 
Esther.     (She  was  soon  converted.)     This  woman 


612  Key  West  Inhabitants. 

had  a  friend  at  the  barracks,  a  United  States  Sur- 
geon, who  had  charge  of  the  hospital.  This  man  be- 
came much  interested  in  the  meetings,  and  the  gospel 
message  reached  him  and  many  among  the  soldiers  in 
the  barracks,  and  eternity  alone  can  reveal  all  the 
good  that  was  accomplished  here  on  this  little  island 
where  the  ends  of  the  world  meet. 

Here  the  United  States  have  one  of  their  great- 
est coaling  stations.  Here  the  great  ships  of  all  na- 
tions land  and  depart.  The  island  is  only  ninety 
miles  from  Havana,  Cuba,  which  must  sometime  be- 
come a  part  of  the  United  States. 

From  here  the  throbbing  pulses  of  our  great  Re- 
public are  sending  their  healthful  life  currents  all 
over  the  South  American  continent.  From  this  point 
we  will  have  command  of  the  interoceanic  canal, 
which  we  are  now  building,  and  through  which  the 
commerce  of  the  world  will  pass,  and  thus  pay  trib- 
ute at  our  gateway. 

Key  West  has  twenty  thousand  inhabitants,  and 
there  is  in  operation  one  hundred  cigar  factories,  em  ■ 
ploying  from  five  to  five  hundred  men  and  women 
each.  There  is  a  large  sponge  industry  here,  and 
also  a  great  turtle  market ;  thousands  of  the  great  fish 
are  shipped  to  the  Northern  markets.  These  turtles 
weigh  from  two  to  five  hundred  pounds  each,  and 
they  are  one  of  the  staples  of  food. 

Turtle  steak  is  as  much  prized  in  Key  West  as 
beef  steak  in  the  Northern  States,  and  sells  for  as 
much  per  pound.  Turtle  eggs  are  twenty-five  cents 
per  dozen  and  considered  quite  a  luxury. 

The  people  have  large  families  in  Key  West.  It 
is  not  uncommon  to  see  from  five  to  ten  children  in  a 
family,  and  often  in  our  meetings  the  children  and 
young  people  composed  one-half  of  the  congregation. 
It  was  a  beautiful  sight. 


Return  to  St,  Petersburg,  613 

The  race  lines  here  are  clearly  drawn  on  the  so- 
cial question.  The  whites  do  not  mingle  socially  with 
the  negroes.  The  white  people  are  a  good  type  of  the 
old  Anglo-Saxon,  and  the  reports  that  are  sometimes 
made  by  travelers  that  there  is  much  amalgamation 
is  not  true. 

But  this  account  must  here  close.  Our  gospel 
work  was  completed  on  the  afternoon  of  July  18th. 
We  packed  our  trunks  and  sent  them  to  the  steamer, 
having  purchased  our  tickets  to  Port  Tampa.  At 
ten  o'clock  p.  m.  we  said  good  by  to  our  many  friends 
and  the  dear  ministers,  and  while  their  loving  fare- 
wells still  lingered  in  our  hearts,  our  boat  weighed 
anchor  and  turned  her  prow  to  the  great  gulf,  while 
we  waved  our  last  adieu  to  the  dear  ones  left  behind. 
We  gazed  until  the  shore  lights  faded  in  the  distance, 
and  then  disappeared  behind  the  crest  of  waves ;  then 
we  went  below  and  were  soon  in  the  land  of  dreams. 

On  the  following  afternoon  we  arrived  at  St. 
Petersburg,  and  rested  a  few  days  before  starting  to 
Tennessee.  Esther  was  weary  and  sick,  hardly  able 
to  travel.  While  at  St.  Petersburg  we  were  kindly 
entertained  at  dear  Brother  and  Sister  Holman's. 

On  July  24th  we  started  North,  intending  to 
spend  a  few  days  at  Archer,  Florida,  where  there 
were  a  few  families  of  Friends. 

We  remained  at  Archer  five  days  and  held  meet- 
ings every  night.  A  number  of  persons  professed 
conversion.  Esther  continued  in  very  delicate  health 
all  the  time,  and  seemed  to  keep  going  by  her  de- 
termined will  and  the  excellent  care  she  received 
from  our  dear  friends.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pearson,  who 
entertained  us  at  their  restful  little  home,  surrounded 
by  the  whispering  pines,  and  their  little  cottage  em- 
bowered among  the  beautiful  shade  trees,  and  the 
porches  covered  with  clambering  vines.  Here  Esther 
rested,  the  rest  of  heavenly  peace,  for  the  very  at- 


614  Archer,  Florida, 

mospliere  of  this  little  home  seemed  quietness,  and 
assurance  from  all  disturbing  spirits.  The  Friends 
meeting  has  been  laid  down,  the  house  is  sold,  and 
many  of  the  Friends  who  lived  here  have  moved 
away,  and  only  a  few  families  remain.  With  these 
we  had  some  loving  service,  and  the  Lord  blessed  it 
to  their  encouragement.  Dear  sweet  Friends.  How 
we  loved  them. 

On  July  24  we  started  for  Friendsville,  Tennes- 
see, where  we  arrived  on  the  morning  of  the  26th  of 
July.  We  were  met  at  the  train  by  Friends  and 
taken  to  the  home  of  Sister  Leichentf elter.  Here  we 
were  provided  with  a  good  room  and  warm  welcome, 
which  we  never  appreciated  more. 

Seventh  day  was  quarterly  meeting  and  we  both 
attended ;  the  meeting  was  very  good,  and  at  the  con- 
clusion it  was  published  that  Esther  would  preach 
next  day  at  11  o'clock. 

Friendsville,  Tennessee,  July  26th,  1903. 

Many  Friends  from  the  meetings  composing  the 
Quarterly  Meeting  remained  over  the  Sabbath,  and 
a  large  number  of  the  townspeoiDle  came  to  the  meet- 
ings. The  house  was  filled,  and  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  was  greatly  manifested  in  tendering  and  con- 
verting the  people,  and  it  was  a  time  of  rejoicing  for 
the  Friends,  who  had  so  long  waited  for  our  coming. 

We  continued  our  meetings  at  Friendsville  for 
one  week,  and  the  attendance  and  interest  increased 
all  the  time.  There  was  a  genuine  revival  spirit  in 
the  town  and  community,  and  the  Friends  entreated 
us  to  remain  and  continue  the  meetings,  but  we  could 
go  no  further. 

I  was  weary  and  could  not  pursue  the  work  as  it 
should  be  done  without  Esther,  and  she  had  gone  to 
the  limit  of  her  strength  and  was  sick. 


FriendsvUle,  Tennessee.  615 

It  was  one  of  the  most  trying  occasions  of  our 
lives  to  abandon  the  work  before  us,  that  had  been  on 
our  hearts  for  a  number  of  years.  We  had  planned 
to  do  much  gospel  work  in  this  needy  Tennessee  field, 
that  was  so  ripe  to  the  harvest.  The  Friends  meet- 
ings here  are  all  small  in  numbers  from  causes  over 
which  Friends  have  no  control.  In  early  times 
Friends  had  taken  a  decided  stand  against  slavery, 
and  however  mild  and  discreet  they  might  be,  they 
were  looked  upon  with  suspicion.  They  also  advo- 
cated peace,  as  opposed  to  war,  and  this  aroused  per- 
secution against  them,  and  many  of  them  emigrated 
to  the  Northern  States,  and  left  the  meeting  in  a  de- 
pleted condition,  and  now  this  field  may  be  considered 
a  home  mission  work,  but  one  of  the  most  promising 
in  the  country. 

There  is  work  enough  within  one  hundred  miles 
of  Friendsville  academy  for  many  devoted  ministers 
and  gospeJL  workers  for  many  years  to  come,  and 
thousands  of  people  could  be  saved,  for  their  hearts 
are  open  to  embrace  the  simple  gospel  story,  and  es- 
pecially from  Friends. 

Friends  already  occupy  much  of  this  field.  They 
have  their  little  meeting  houses ;  many  of  them  have 
been  there  since  the  county  was  first  settled— about 
1690— Friends  had  established  Eastern  Quarterly 
Meeting,  New  Garden  in  1788,  Cententuea  in  1790, 
and  Lost  Creek  in  1802,  and  Deep  River  in  1819. 

So  that  Friends,  though  only  a  limited  number 
remained,  held,  and  still  hold  a  very  important  place 
among  the  leading  denominations,  and  people  where 
they  lived  and  held  their  meetings,  have  lasting  im- 
pressions of  their  teachings  that  still  remain.  Our 
hearts  yearned  to  enter  into  this  work,  but  we  could 
not  pursue  it,  on  account  of  Esther's  sickness  and 
failing  health. 


616  Many  Small  Meetings, 

The  dear  friends  at  Friendsville  made  our  stay 
with  them  as  pleasant  and  comfortable  as  possible, 
and  furnished  a  most  excellent  home  and  gave  Es- 
ther every  attention  that  they  could. 

On  8th  month  3rd,  we  visited  the  old  cemetery 
near  Friendsville  meeting-house,  where  many  of  the 
noble  and  holy  fathers  and  mother  sleep;  and  of 
whom  it  can  be  truthfully  written:  *' Blessed  are  the 
dead  that  die  in  the  Lord— yea  from  henceforth ;  they 
rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do  follow 
them.'' 

We  paused  beside  the  burial  place  of  William 

Froster,  his  grave  is  inclosed  by  an  iron  railing,  and  a 

little  marble  stone  with  this  inscription  marks  the 

resting  place  of  this  devoted  servant  of  the  Lord : 

^'WILLIAM  FROSTEE, 

1st  Month  27th,  1854. 

Aged  69  years." 

We  need,  as  a  church,  another  trumpet  call,  and 
an  army  of  devoted  and  spiritually  minded  men  and 
women  to  answer  it :  such  as  characterized  the  church 
in  the  days  when  such  men  as  William  Penn,  Robert 
Barclay,  Francis  Howgill,  Edward  Burrow  and 
James  Parnell,  with  other  devoted  men  and  women, 
swept  hundreds  into  the  kingdom;  and  women  who 
are  strong  through  their  boldness  and  faithfulness, 
until  thousands  shall  be  converted,  and  the  Lord 
shall  raise  up  among  them  a  great  army  of  ministers, 
insomuch  that  the  old  waste  places  shall  be  rebuilded, 
and  the  broken-down  walls  of  Zion  shall  be  repaired. 

Following  is  a  copy  of  minute  from  Friendsville 
Monthly  Meeting  granted  us : 

**At  Friendsville  Monthly  Meeting  held  8th,  1st, 
1903,  our  dear  friends,  Nathan  T.  and  Esther  Frame, 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  attended  this  meet- 
ing with  approved  credentials  from  Cesars  Creek 
Monthly  Meeting,  Ohio. 


Esther  Sick.  617 

**This  meeting  was  united  in  expressing  thankful- 
ness for  their  acceptable  presence,  and  labor  in  our 
midst,  which  proved  a  blessing  to  our  souls,  and  uni- 
ted us  more  closely  together  in  Christian  fellowship 
and  love. 

*' Charles  F.  Lee, 
"Carrie  L.  Gothard, 

"Clerks." 

Richmond,  Indiana,  August  4d}h,  1903. 

We  turned  away  from  this  Southern  field  with 
much  regret,  bade  adieu  to  our  dear  Friends,  and 
next  day  arrived  in  Richmond,  Indiana,  and  opened 
the  little  rented  cottage  on  17th  street,  that  had  been 
closed  for  seven  months.  We  had  been  almost  con- 
stantly holding  meetings  each  day,  except  when  we 
were  going  from  one  meeting  to  another. 

It  was  now  the  5th  of  August,  and  our  yearly 
meeting  (Wilmington)  would  occur  the  foUomng 
week.  Esther  was  not  able  to  leave  her  room,  but  we 
thought  in  a  few  days  with  care  she  might  be  able  to 
attend  a  few  sessions  of  the  Yearly  Meeting.  On 
Wednesday  she  was  some  better,  and  we  started  to 
Yearly  Meeting,  but  when  we  had  gone  as  far  as  Cin- 
cinnati she  was  too  sick  to  go  further,  and  we  re- 
turned to  Richmond,  and  Esther  remained  in  her 
room  Saturday,  and  thought  she  was  able  to  go  to 
yearly  meeting,  and  said  to  me,  "I  think  the  Lord 
wants  us  to  go  to  yearly  meeting,"  and  we  went,  stop- 
ping all  night  at  Washington  C.  H.  with  our  dear 
friend  Catharine  Moormon,  whose  sweet  hospitality 
we  had  known  for  many  years.  God  bless  her  and 
her  dear  children.  We  arrived  at  yearly  meeting  on 
Sabbath,  but  did  not  preach,  though  we  had  preached 
every  Sabbath  before  since  the  Yearly  Meeting  had 
been  established.    Many  desired  us  to  preach,  saying, 


618  Many  Calls  for  Meetings, 

**We  came  to  hear  you;  as  we  always  expect  to  hear 
you  at  Yearly  Meeting."  We  remained  two  or  three 
days  and  made  report  of  our  work  in  the  South  to  the 
'* Evangelistic  Committee  of  our  Yearly  Meeting." 
Esther  was  not  able  to  attempt  any  more  work  in 
Tennessee.  We  were  most  kindly  entertained  and 
lovingly  cared  for  while  at  Yearly  Meeting  by  Caro- 
line Hadley  and  her  womanly  daughters. 

We  went  home,  and  then  to  Iowa  Yearly  Meet- 
ing, and  returned  in  time  to  attend  Indiana  Yearly 
Meeting,  held  at  Marion,  Indiana. 

In  the  tenth  month  we  went  to  Kansas  Yearly 
Meeting,  held  at  Wichita,  Kansas.  We  were  receiv- 
ing many  calls  to  hold  series  of  meetings.  They  came 
from  Ohio,  Illinois,  Oklahoma,  North  Carolina,  Ten- 
nessee and  Colorado;  also  Friends  University  at 
Wichita ;  we  made  arrangements  for  the  meetings  at 
Wichita. 

Ottawa,  Indian  Territory,  October  22nd,  1903. 

We  will  go  on  until  our  work  is  finished.  We 
know  the  past,  what  is  in  store  for  us  in  the  future  in 
our  earthly  pilgrimage  we  cannot  tell. 

From  Wichita,  Kansas,  we  went  to  Ottawa  Mis- 
sion, Indian  Territory.  William  and  Lucinda  George 
had  charge  of  the  mission.  They  are  devoted  Chris- 
tians, he  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  and  she  an  Elder  in 
the  Friends  Church.  They  received  us  with  a  glad 
welcome  into  their  little  mission  home,  and  enter- 
tained us  with  true  Christian  hospitality.  Their 
work  and  presence  was  a  great  help  in  the  meetings 
we  held. 

The  congregations  who  attended  were  more  than 
one-half  of  them  white  people,  and  aU  the  Indians 
who  came,  were  dressed  in  citizens  clothes,  and  most 
of  them  spoke  English.    Some  of  them  were  Chris- 


Ottawa  Indian  Mission.  619 

tians,  and  occasionally  took  vocal  part  in  the  meet- 
ings by  praying  and  testifying  that  they  were  saved. 

The  little  mission  house  was  crowded  nightly  to 
hear  the  Gospel  message,  and  a  number  of  persons 
professed  conversion,  among  them  a  few  Indians. 

Our  meetings  continued  here  ten  days;  a  few 
gave  their  names  to  become  Friends,  and  could  we 
have  remained,  many,  we  felt,  would  have  been  con- 
verted. This  little  mission  has  been  a  bright  star  in 
the  midst  of  the  surrounding  darkness.  William  and 
Lucinda  George  are  doing  a  great  work  in  this  com- 
munity ;  he  is  a  good,  faithful  minister,  an  excellent 
preacher,  who  could  command  the  attention  of  a 
large,  cultivated  audience,  and  she  is  a  lady  that 
would  grace  the  homes  in  the  best  circles  of  society ; 
their  home  is  one  of  neatness,  comfort  and  cleanli- 
ness, and  thus  they  are  examples  to  their  people,  as 
well  as  teachers  and  preachers  of  salvation  to  the  lost. 

We  turned  away  from  these  dear  friends  and 
their  sweet  little  home,  and  work,  with  a  feeling  re- 
gret. Such  people  live  to  give,  and  live  to  do— and 
they  will  sometime  have  their  reward 

"Where  everlasting  spring  abides, 
And  never  withering  flowers." 

We  are  informed  that  Asa  and  Emiline  Tuttle, 
of  precious  memory,  founded  this  mission,  and  we 
were  shown  a  little  mound  of  earth  near  the  meeting- 
house where  Asa  Tuttle  knelt  and  dedicated  the 
ground  for  a  mission.  In  the  cemetery  close  by  are 
buried  some  of  the  children  of  these  devoted  mission- 
aries. 

There  is  a  sacredness  around 
The  paths  that  once  they  trod, 

A  beauty  in  the  life  profound — 
That  leads  men  nearer  God. 

So  we  bade  farewell  to  Ottawa  Mission  and  went 
to  hold  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  town  of  Miami. 


620  Miami,  Indian  Territory. 


Maimi,  Indian  Territory,  November,  1903. 

We  held  our  meetings  here  in  the  Friends  meet- 
ing-house ;  they  have  a  nice  frame  house  that  will  eas- 
ily accommodate  two  hundred  and  fifty  or  three  hun- 
dred people.  Jeremiah  Hubbard  is  the  pastor.  The 
meetings  were  of  much  interest  from  the  first,  and 
soon  the  house  filled  each  night,  and  many  came  who 
could  not  gain  admission. 

This  meeting  was  remarable  for  the  large  num- 
ber of  men  who  attended,  often  two-thirds  of  the  au- 
dience were  men ;  another  feature  not  conmion,  many 
elderly  men  attended  the  meetings  who  were  not  at- 
tenders  at  any  religious  meetings  except  occasionally 
at  funerals  or  something  of  that  nature;  now  they 
came  nightly,  crowded  to  the  front ;  often  taking 
seats  on  and  all  around  the  platform,  and  many  of 
them  rose  for  prayer.  There  were  quite  a  large 
nimiber  of  Indians  attended  these  meetings. 

The  Baptist  minister  was  much  prejudiced 
against  a  woman  preaching,  and  spoke  against  it,  but 
finalh^  came  to  the  meetings,  and  publicly  endorsed 
them'and  the  woman  preacher,  saying  one  night  in  a 
public  testimony:  "The  sermon  of  Mrs.  Frame  to- 
night was  the  finest  I  have  ever  heard."  There  were 
a  number  of  Indians  converted,  and  the  power  of  con- 
viction was  all  through  the  town  and  people  came 
from  many  miles  in  the  country. 

The  population  here  is  a  mixed  one,  of  all  kinds, 
from  almost  all  places— Indians,  half  breeds,  English, 
French,  German,  traders,  adventurers  and  cowboys. 
The  Indians  own  the  land,  and  it  has  mostly  been  al- 
lotted to  them,  and  by  the  owners  rented  or  leased  to 
white  men,  who  are  waiting  to  buy  as  soon  as  it  can 
be  sold ;  the  Indian  in  many  instances  is  already  half 
dispossessed  of  his  land  by  money  paid  on  leases  and 


The  Indians.  621 

obligations  to  the  white  man  for  money  loaned.  If 
the  Indian  has  enough  today,  he  is  satisfied,  yet  there 
are  exceptions  to  this  rule.  A  few  of  the  Indians  are 
thrifty  farmers,  and  some  of  them  are  most  exem- 
plary Christians,  and  the  best  of  citizens.  The  Chris- 
tian religion  is  the  only  force  that  can  bring  order 
out  of  this  chaos  of  humanity. 

But  the  heavenly  leaven  is  having  its  effect  and 
a  transforming  process  is  going  on,  and  even  the  In- 
dian is  being  brought  to  Christ,  The  Friends  mis- 
sions have  done  a  great  work  among  them. 

Jeremiah  Hubbard's  work  among  the  Indians 
has  been  very  fruitful  of  good  results;  and  the  In- 
dians in  the  different  tribes  who  know  him  trust  him 
implicitly,  and  though  there  are  but  a  few  who  belong 
to  the  Friends  Church  at  Miami  they  will  not  con- 
sent that  any  one  else  shall  be  their  pastor. 

We  had  a  lovely  home  and  the  best  of  entertain- 
ment at  H.  H.  Butler's  and  his  father's.  This  dear 
family,  consisting  of  Father  Butler,  H.  H.  Butler 
and  his  dear  wife,  took  us  to  their  home  and  enter- 
tained us  while  we  held  our  series  of  meetings  in 
Miami.  H.  H.  Butler  was  converted  during  the  meet- 
ings, and  he  and  his  wife  became  members  of  the 
Friends  Church. 

Following  is  a  little  notice  of  the  meetings  from 
one  of  the  Miami  papers : 

'^  Evangelism/' 

The  meetings  at  the  Friends  church  have  con- 
tinued all  week  with  imabated  interest,  and  much 
good  work  is  being  accomplished.  Mrs.  Frame  is  be- 
yond doubt  one  of  the  best  speakers  that  ever  filled  a 
pulpit  in  Miami,  and  no  one  can  hear  her  without  feel- 
ing that  a  benefit  has  been  derived.  We  wish  there 
were  more  such  noble  men  and  women  in  the  world 


622    At  Friends  University,  Wichita,  Kansas, 

as  Nathan  and  Esther  FTSune,^^— Miami  Republican, 
Nov.  13, 1903. 

Friends  University,  Wichita,  Kans.,  Novernber,  1903. 

Though  the  meetings  at  Miami  were  attracting 
more  attention  and  many  seekers  were  coming  for- 
ward each  night,  the  time  had  come  that  we  had  ar- 
ranged for  the  meetings  to  commence  at  Friends  Uni- 
versity at  Wichita. 

We  commenced  our  meeting  near  the  10th  of  No- 
vember ;  there  was  great  interest  manifested  from  the 
first,  most  of  the  students  and  professors  attending 
the  meetings  the  greater  part  of  the  time.  The  young 
people's  Christian  societies  were  earnest  and  faithfiil 
in  their  attendance  and  contributed  much  to  the  suc- 
cess of  the  meetings. 

The  most  remarkable  meeting  during  the  whole 
series  was  a  meeting  Esther  held  for  women,  designed 
especially  to  reach  the  young  lady  students ;  though 
all  women  were  invited  to  attend ;  President  Stanley 
kindly  excused  them  from  all  their  recitations  and 
classes  the  day  the  meeting  was  held.  There  was  a 
large  meeting  and  the  Lord  wonderfully  blessed  Es- 
ther in  delivering  her  message. 

When  the  invitation  was  given  for  seekers,  the 
altar  was  crowded,  and  quite  a  mmaber  were  con- 
verted. The  teacher  of  elocution  was  converted  (she 
was  not  a  Friend) ,  and  all  over  the  room  little  groups 
of  seekers  were  kneeling,  while  others  were  instruct- 
ing them  in  the  way  of  salvation.  This  meeting  was 
of  such  great  interest,  and  there  were  so  many  seek- 
ers, that  it  was  impossible  to  close  until  after  one 
o'clock. 

We  conclude  the  account  of  this  series  of  meet- 
ings by  copying  from  the  American  Friend  an  ac- 
count written  by  President  Stanley : 


Edmund  Staxley, 
President  of  Friends  Universitv.  AVidiita.  Kansas: 


I 


Professor  Stanley's  Letter,  623 

**  Nathan  T.  and  Esther  G.  Frame  began  a  series 
of  meetings  at  the  Friends  University,  early  in  12th 
month,  and  the  work  continued  for  nearly  three 
weeks,  with  good  results.  There  were  about  one  hun- 
dred claimed  conversion.  Many  claimed  a  deeper 
work  of  grace,  or  were  renewed  from  a  backslidden 
condition.  The  meeting  was  very  much  strength- 
ened, and  the  Christian  associations  under  the  man- 
agement of  the  students  of  the  University  were  very 
much  helped  in  their  work,  and  their  membership  in- 
creased. 

**The  clearness  of  the  Gospel  teaching  and  the 
forceful  presentation  of  the  truth,  was  effectual  in 
reaching  many  hearts  in  a  way  never  experienced  be- 
fore. 

**None  who  listened  to  the  unanswerable  argu- 
ments and  the  tender,  touching  appeals  of  Esther  G. 
Frame,  could  not  hesitate  to  admit  that  God  had 
called  a  woman  to  preach  the  everlasting  Gospel,  no 
difference  what  their  previous  convictions  might 
have  been  concerning  the  question  of  women  preach- 
ing. 

**The  teaching  and  preaching  of  Nathan  T. 
Frame  was  strong  and  logical;  but,  perhaps,  his 
greatest  strength  and  ability  was  manifest  to  support 
his  wife  in  her  masterly  efforts,  to  supplement  her 
arguments  with  practical  applications,  and  to  carry 
much  of  the  weight  of  the  service,  without  which  her 
physical  strength  would  have  failed  through  the  se- 
ries of  services.  God  has  wonderfully  equipped  them 
for  His  work,  and  as  wonderfully  blesses  those  who 
come  under  their  ministrations. 

**In  all  their  work,  harmony  of  thought,  and 
helpfulness  at  every  stage  of  progress  added  much  to 
the  power,  as  well  as  the  interest  of  the  meetings. 

*' Truly,  a  man  and  a  woman  wholly  consecrated 
to  God,  and  given  to  his  service  are  a  mighty  power 


624  Boulder,  Colorado, 

for  good,  and  to  such  he  ever  assures  victory.  These 
dear  Friends  have  been  many  years  in  his  service; 
but  their  strength  is  not  abated,  and  with  growing 
faith  and  new  bought  experiences,  they  are  better 
fitted,  with  the  help  of  each  new  victory,  to  lead  oth- 
ers to  the  everlasting  fount  of  blessing. 

^'Edmund  Stanley.'' 


Boulder,  Colorado,  December  9tJi,  1903. 

President  Edmund  Stanley  gave  his  time  and 
presence  to  the  success  of  these  meetings,  and  his  gen- 
tlemanly bearing  and  gentleness  of  spirit  was  very 
helpful  from  the  beginning  to  the  closing.  God  bless 
all  the  professors  and  students  at  Wichita. 

Esther's  health  was  again  giving  way,  but  we 
had  one  more  appointment  to  fill,  at  Boulder,  Colo- 
rado. 

We  started  at  night  on  the  9th  of  December, 
weary,  and  Esther  really  sick,  but  determined  to  hold 
this  one  more  meeting.  The  cold  December  wind  was 
sweeping  down  over  the  wide  waste  of  plain  that 
stretches  away  from  the  foothills  of  the  Rockies,  the 
dull  laden  clouds  hung  low  as  presaging  a  storm ;  the 
sweet  friends  among  whom  we  had  labored  were  left 
behind ;  the  people  in  the  car  with  us  were  all  strang- 
ers. Is  it  any  marvel  that  we  felt  like  pilgrims  and 
strangers,  in  a  strange  land*?  We  went  by  way  of 
Denver ;  thence  north  to  Boulder,  Colorado,  arriving 
at  Boulder  the  second  night  after  starting.  We  were 
met  at  the  depot  by  William  Cattell,  who  conveyed  us 
to  his  home,  where  we  remained  and  partook  of  their 
loving  hospitality,  while  in  Boulder.  William  Cat- 
tell  and  his  dear  Christian  wife  are  beautiful  charac- 
ters and  devoted  Christians ;  William  is  the  pastor  of 
the  little  church. 


Boulder  J  Colorado,  625 

We  remained  at  Boulder  about  two  weeks,  and 
held  meetings  every  night,  had  no  meetings  in  the 
day  time  except  on  the  Sabbath.  The  Friends  here 
have  no  house  of  their  own,  they  worship  in  a  little 
rented  house;  the  membership  is  small  and  poor 
financially. 

The  little  church  was  much  blessed  and  strength- 
ened spiritually;  some  professed  conversion  and  a 
few  gave  their  names  to  become  members  of  the 
Friends  Church.  One  man  about  sixty  years  old,  who 
had  never  made  any  profession  of  religion,  attended 
the  meetings  and  came  under  great  conviction.  He 
lived  near  where  we  made  our  home,  and  Esther  went 
to  see  him;  to  her  he  opened  his  heart,  and  she  in- 
duced him  to  kneel  in  prayer,  and  while  she  prayed 
for  him,  he  was  graciously  converted  and  gave  his 
name  for  membership  in  the  Friends  Church  and  is 
one  of  the  best  members  at  Boulder  meeting. 

We  felt  that  our  year's  work  for  1903  was  fin- 
ished. Esther  was  almost  nervously  prostrated ;  for 
the  last  few  days  before  the  meetings  closed,  she  lay 
in  bed  most  of  the  time  during  the  day,  and  by  prayer 
for  strength,  rallied  sufficiently  to  attend  the  meet- 
ings at  night.  She  could  scarcely  walk  two  blocks 
without  me  supporting  her. 

Mesilla  Park,  New  Mexico,  December  25th,  1903. 

We  now  said  '^Farewell"  to  the  little  band  of 
Friends,  took  leave  of  dear  Brother  and  Sister  Cat- 
tell,  and  started  for  Mesilla  Park,  New  Mexico,  to 
spend  a  little  time  with  our  daughter.  We  arrived  at 
Denver,  Colorado,  at  8  o'clock  at  night  in  the  midst 
of  a  cold  wind  strom.  Stayed  at  Denver  all  night 
with  dear  Walter  and  Mattie  Spray,  and  on  Decem- 
ber 25th  arrived  at  Mesilla  Park,  New  Mexico,  took 
a  joyful  Christmas  dinner  with  our  lo\ing  children. 


626  Cherokee,  Oklahoma, 

We  remained  here  until  January  25th,  1904.  We 
were  very  sick  with  Lagrippe  for  two  weeks.  On 
January  25  we  started  for  Cherokee,  Oklahoma  Ter- 
ritory, to  hold  a  series  of  meetings ;  arrived  at  Chero- 
kee on  the  27th  inst.,  and  began  meetings  immediately 
in  the  Friends  meeting-house.  John  E.  Suavely  was 
pastor  of  the  church.  We  made  our  home  with  Alvin 
Stout  and  wife;  here  we  had  good  care  and  a  quiet 
resting  place. 

Cherokee,  Oklahoma  Territory,  February  21th,  1904. 

We  found  in  Brother  Suavely  a  good  helper, 
ready  for  every  emergency.  Cherokee  is  a  new  town, 
and  the  Friends  meeting  is  comparatively  a  new 
meeting.  Cherokee  is  located  in  what  is  called  "The 
Strip,''  and  is  not  more  than  three  or  four  years  old, 
and  contains  about  four  hundred  inhabitants,  there 
are  many  fine  farms  around  the  town  of  Cherokee, 
and  it  is  a  great  wheat  and  stock  country.  There  is 
scarcely  a  farm  containing  less  than  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  and  many  contain  one  half  section  or  a 
whole  one,  and  some  have  three  or  more  sections. 
These  are  large  ranches. 

People  sow  their  wheat  in  November,  and  it 
makes  good  pasture  for  the  stock  all  winter.  There 
is  little  snow  fall  here ;  and  there  is  little  time  that 
the  farmer  cannot  work  on  his  farm  with  comfort. 
More  than  twice  as  much  land  can  be  farmed  by  one 
person  here,  with  the  same  amount  of  work  as  in 
Ohio  and  Indiana. 

Cherokee  has  no  saloons  in  it,  and  this  Is  due  to 
the  influence  of  the  Friends,  who  are  zealous  for 
every  good  word  and  work.  There  is  quite  a  number 
of  influential  and  intelligent  Friends  in  this  meeting, 
who  have  been  Friends  all  their  lives ;  there  are  also 
quite  a  number  who  have  come  from  other  churches 


.    Effect  of  Meetings,  627 

to  Friends  by  convincement,  and  others  have  been 
converted  from  the  masses  outside  of  the  churches. 

Here  to  this  new  meeting  we  came,  a  little  after 
the  opening  of  the  year  1904.  Our  meetings  were 
crowned  with  good  success  and  we  cannot  do  better 
than  to  copy  from  an  article  published  in  the  Ameri- 
can Friend,  and  written  by  the  pastor : 
To  ^^The  American  Friend/^ 

^'Nathan  T.  and  Esther  G.  Frame  came  to  Chero- 
kee, Oklahoma  Territory,  second  month  27th,  1904, 
and  commenced  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  Friends 
church  that  continued  four  weeks.  The  Lord  owned 
the  work  from  the  beginning  by  endowing  the  speak- 
ers with  power,  and  the  hearers  with  understanding, 
imtil  germination,  growth  and  fruitage  was  the  re- 
sult. 

**  These  God  called  and  anointed  workers  spoke 
to  the  needs  of  the  people,  and  clearly  enunciated  the 
doctrine  of  the  Gospel  as  held  by  Friends.  Never  has 
the  Gospel  been  preached  in  Cherokee  with  more 
power,  and  with  clearer  illustration,  until  sin  and  its 
consequences,  hell  and  its  horrors,  heaven  and  its  bliss 
seemed  to  live  and  m^ve  in  our  midst. 

*'01d  men  bent  with  age,  were  touched,  and  trem- 
blingly fell  at  the  altar,  crying  for  pardon.  Young 
men  who  a  few  weeks  before  laughed  at  the  power  of 
the  cross,  sought  and  found  its  power  to  save.  Al- 
most every  young  woman  in  the  town  who  was  not 
saved,  entered  the  kingdom ;  and  at  some  of  the  spe- 
cial services  the  long  chancel  rail  was  filled  with  chil- 
dren, with  many  more  kneeling  at  chairs,  and  in  their 
childish  simplicity  prayed  for  themselves  and  others. 

"These  Evangelists  were  loyal  to  the  church  and 
her  mission  in  the  world,  both  in  public  service  and  in 
private  conversation.  Many  of  their  converts  came 
to  Friends. 


628  Esther's  Return  to  New  Mexico, 

**We  cannot  give  the  exact  nmnber  of  persons 
receiving  definite  blessings  in  the  meetings,  but  from 
the  crowded  audience  at  the  closing  service  came  hun- 
dreds of  *  Praises  unto  the  Lord'  for  his  mercy  and 
blessings  in  sending  Brother  and  Sister  Frame  to 
Cherokee.  May  the  Lord  give  many  more  days  to 
these  His  faithful  workers,  and  may  the  church  make 
way  for  their  useful  service. 

"J.  E.  S.,  Cherokee,  Okla.'' 

Truly  we  can  say  of  the  Church : 

"For  her,  our  tears  shall  fall, 
For  her  our  prayers  ascend. 
To  her  our  toils  and  cares  be  given 
'Til  toils  and  cares  shall  end." 

Many  of  the  dear  friends  at  Cherokee  were  very 
kind  to  us,  among  whom  were  the  Votaws,  Picker- 
ings, and  many  others;  may  the  Lord  reward  them 
according  to  their  works. 

We  had  intended  to  have  gone  from  Cherokee  to 
Haviland,  Kiowa  County,  Kansas,  and  hold  a  series 
of  meetings.  But  Esther  could  do  no  more  work,  and 
we  bade  our  dear  Friends  at  Cherokee  good-by,  and 
went  to  Wichita,  Kansas,  and  spent  one  week  and  vis- 
ited some  friends ;  then  Esther  went  to  New  Mexico, 
to  our  daughter's  to  rest  and  recuperate,  if  possible, 
for  she  was  worn  out  and  sick.  I  went  as  far  as  New- 
ton, Kansas,  with  her,  and  then  returned  next  day  to 
Wichita,  remained  a  week  and  did  some  manual  la- 
bor, and  then  went  to  Haviland,  Kansas,  to  do  some 

Haviland,  Kansas,  April  13^7i,  1904. 

Gospel  work.  I  held  a  week's  meeting  at  Haviland 
and  then  visited  all  the  Monthly  Meetings  in  Havi- 
land Quarterly  Meeting  except  one;  there  are  nine 
Monthly  Meetings,  and  Bome  of  them  far  apart. 

I  also  copied  nearly  all  the  manuscript  for  these 
reminiscences  while  at  Haviland,  and  painted  a  house 


Varieties  in  Work,  629 

and  a  bam.  Friends  at  Haviland  were  very  kind  to 
me,  and  their  homes  and  hearts  were  always  open. 
They  conveyed  me  from  one  meeting  to  another  will- 
ingly, and  it  seemed  to  me  gladly.  There  is  home  mis- 
sionary work  enough  in  the  limits  of  Haviland  Quar- 
terly meeting  to  occupy  the  time  of  more  than  one 
good  and  capable  worker  throughout  all  the  year. 
These  home  mission  fields,  how  needy ! 

Various  Meetings,  September,  1904. 

About  September  8th  Esther  came  from  New 
Mexico  to  attend  Haviland  Quarterly  Meeting,  and 
we  went  from  Haviland  to  Richmond,  Indiana;  at- 
tended Indiana  Yearly  Meeting. 

We  had  been  from  home  eleven  months,  and 
after  Indiana  Yearly  Meeting  we  went  immediately 
to  Kansas  Yearly  Meeting,  held  at  Lawrence,  Kansas. 

This  was  a  most  blessed  Yearly  Meeting,  and  we 
had  showers  of  grace  from  day  to  day.  The  Lord's 
presence  was  remarkably  felt  in  all  the  sessions  of  the 
meeting;  the  Lord's  anointed  messengers  from  other 

Lawrence,  Kansas,  October  16th,  1904. 

yearly  meetings  had  much  liberty  in  preaching  the 
Gospel,  and  the  business  of  the  yearly  meeting  was 
transacted  with  great  harmony— and  the  Lord's 
power  reigned  over  all. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  meeting  we  spent  a  few 
days  by  invitation  at  the  home  of  our  dear  friends, 
Ross  W.  and  Estella  Stubbs. 

We  found  it  to  be  a  great  rest  and  privilege  to 
be  at  this  dear  home  again.  We  have  ever  found  them 
friends  in  time  of  need.  God  bless  them  ever  for 
their  dear  love  and  practical  sympathy. 

While  stopping  at  the  home  of  these  dear  Friends 
Esther  was  asked  by  the  President  of  the  State  Uni- 


630  Esther  Visits  State  University. 

versity  to  speak  to  the  students  in  their  morning  col- 
lection.    She  accepted  the  invitation.     Our  friend, 

Kansas  State  University,  Lawrence,  Kansas, 
October  10th,  1904. 

W.  R.  Stubbs,  provided  a  carriage,  and  Esther  in- 
vited Mrs.  Margaret  Miles  to  accompany  her.  They 
were  met  at  the  College  Chapel  and  escorted  to  the 
minister's  stand,  and  the  students  gave  her  a  cordial 
greeting.  Then  came  the  reading  of  the  121st  Psalm, 
the  leader  reading  the  first  verse  and  the  students  the 
next  one,  and  this  they  continued  until  the  Psalm  was 
finished. 

Then  all  reverently  bowed  their  heads  and  in  con- 
cert repeated  the  Lord's  Prayer. 

Then  Esther  was  introduced  to  the  professors 
and  students,  as  being  one  of  the  most  noted  and  best 
preachers  in  the  Friends  Church. 

The  future  alone  can  determine  the  good  that 
was  accomplished  and  the  fruit  that  shall  appear 
among  the  hundreds  of  students  who  listened  to  the 
Lord's  message  in  that  morning  meeting. 

We  have  given  this  little  reminiscence  to  show 
that  the  Bible  still  holds  a  prominent  place,  and  that 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  still  worshiped  and  his  min- 
isters honored  and  reverenced  in  our  great  institu- 
tions of  learning.  May  God  bless  Kansas  University 
and  its  Christian  President,  and  professors,  who  in- 
struct their  students,  **That  the  fear  of  the  Lord  is 
the  beginning  of  wisdom,  and  to  depart  from  evil,  is 
understanding." 

When  Esther  had  finished  her  discourse  the  stu- 
dent body  gave  her  almost  an  ovation,  by  the  clapping 
of  hands,  in  their  appreciation  of  her  sermon. 

From  Lawrence  we  went  to  Lowell,  Kansas ;  the 
meeting  here,  though  small,  is  composed  of  some  of 


Lowell,  Kansas.  631 

the  most  excellent  families  of  Friends  among  whom 
we  mention  the  Morgans,  Stanleys,  Coxes,  Hobsons, 
Hadleys,  Kenyons  and  others,  who  have  given  char- 
acter and  standing  to  the  Friends  Church  in  this  part 
of  Kansas. 

William  and  Sarah  Morgan  were  mainly  instru- 
mental in  building  a  Friends  Academy  here.    Much 

Lowell,  Kansas,  October  20th,  1904. 

good  in  the  way  of  educating  the  young  men  and  wo- 
men of  the  church  and  community  has  been  accom- 
plished. William  Morgan  was  one  of  God^s  honored 
servants,  with  a  trained  and  educated  mind,  and  a 
great  soul  of  sympathy  and  love ;  and  he  was  easily 
approached  as  a  little  child,  and  more  than  all,  he  had 
given  his  heart  to  God,  and  he  was  filled  with  the 
Spirit.  He  testified  that  he  first  knew  of  saving  grace 
in  a  meeting  we  held  many  years  ago.  His  work  on 
earth  is  finished,  but  the  good  that  he  did  still  speaks 
of  him. 

His  wife,  Sarah  Morgan,  still  resides  at  Lowell 
in  the  old  home,  situated  in  the  beautiful  grove  of 
oaks  and  other  native  forest  trees  that  surround  it. 
In  this  dear  home  we  were  entertained  some  days 
after  our  meetings  had  closed;  and  we  shall  never 
forget  the  loving  care  we  received  while  there,  and 
the  kind  offer  Sarah  Morgan  gave  us  to  remain  and 
rest,  and  make  our  home  with  her  as  long  as  we  de- 
sired ;  and  her  dear  sons  and  daughters  joined  in  this 
kindly  Christian  invitation. 

During  the  time  we  held  our  meetings  at  Lowell, 
we  were  entertained  at  the  home  of  Joseph  and  Phebe 
Stanley,  and  they  not  only  welcomed  us  into  their 
dwelling,  but  their  welcome  continued,  and  all  our 
needs  (they  were  few)  were  lovingly  supplied.  A 
good  horse  and  buggy  was  furnished  us  and  we  could 


632  Lowell,  Kansas, 

ride  out  and  visit  when  and  where  we  chose.  And 
Phebe  Stanley  was  so  attentive  and  loving  to  Esther, 
giving  her  the  little  attentions  that  she  so  much 
needed  in  her  delicate  condition  of  health. 

May  the  Lord  ever  bless  these  dear  Friends  and 
their  precious  children.  The  Lord  owned  and 
crowned  our  work  here  with  the  clear  conversions  of 
quite  a  number  of  souls,  the  church  was  more  firmly 
united  together  in  love,  and  some  gave  their  names  to 
become  members  of  the  Friends  Church.  Our  meet- 
ings here  continued  two  weeks. 

While  they  were  in  session  the  Quarterly  Meet- 
ing occurred,  and  the  following  esteeming  minute  was 
given  us : 

*'Our  dear  friends,  Nathan  T.  and  Esther  G. 
Frame,  are  present  with  us  with  approved  creden- 
tials from  Cesars  Creek  Monthly  Meeting  of  Friends 
in  Ohio,  and  endorsed  by  Miami  Quarterly  Meeting, 
and  the  Quarterly  Meeting  of  Ministry  and  Over- 
sight. 

"We  praise  the  Lord  for  their  presence  and  mes- 
sages, which  have  been  accompanied  by  the  power  of 
the  Spirit,  and  have  been  a  help  and  benefit  to  us. 
We  pray  that  God  will  give  them  strength  to  finish 
their  work  for  the  Lord. 

"Taken  from  the  minutes  of  Grand  Eiver  Quar- 
terly Meeting  of  Friends  held  at  Lowell,  Kansas, 
11th  month  5th,  1904. 

"W.  E.  Morgan, 
"Tacy  B.  Ebenstien^, 

"Clerks  for  the  day." 

Spring  River  Quarterly  Meeting,  Alba,  Missouri. 

We  went  from  Lowell,  Kansas,  to  Alba,  Mis- 
souri, to  attend  Spring  River  Quarterly  Meeting ;  we 
only  attended  the  Sabbath  and  Sabbath  night.    The 


Correspondence.  633 

house  was  crowded,  and  people  were  turned  away  who 
could  not  obtain  admittance.  Esther  preached  both 
at  the  morning  and  evening  meeting.  There  were 
more  than  thirty  persons  arose  for  prayer. 

The  people  desired  us  to  remain  and  continue  the 
meetings,  and  we  were  sure  the  time  was  ripe  for  a 
great  meeting,  but  we  were  already  promised  to  hold 
a  series  of  meetings  at  Haviland,  Kansas. 

Jeremiah  Hubbard  was  pastor  at  Alba,  and  at- 
tended the  Quarterly  Meeting  with  us ;  the  people  at 
Alba  love  him  much. 

From  The  Field: 

* '  Correspondence.  ** 

**  Since  Kansas  Yearly  Meeting,  Nathan  and 
Esther  Frame  have  been  doing  a  good  work  in  the 
limits  of  Grand  River  Quarterly  Meeting.  A  year 
ago  they  labored  in  this  Quarterly  Meeting,  holding 
meetings  at  Ottawa  Mission  and  Miami,  I.  T.  Jere- 
miah Hubbard,  pastor  at  Miami,  said  of  these  meet- 
ings: 'They  have  done  more  to  establish  people  in 
the  faith  as  held  by  Friends  than  any  that  ever  have 
been  held  there  before.'  The  series  of  meetings  re- 
cently held  by  them  at  Lowell  will  long  be  remem- 
bered as  one  of  the  most  blessed  occasions  of  helpful- 
ness that  has  come  to  that  meeting  for  years.  Their 
teaching  and  preaching  was  in  the  life  and  power  of 
the  Spirit. 

**A  number  of  persons  gave  their  names  to  be- 
come members  with  the  Friends;  the  backslidden 
were  renewed,  and  sinners  were  converted."— (From 
The  American  Friend,  12th  month  22nd,  1904.) 


634  Haviland,  Kansas. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Haviland,  Kansas,  November  20th,  1904. 

From  Lowell,  Kansas,  we  went  to  Haviland  and 
began  a  series  of  meetings  Sabbath  night,  the  21st  of 
November,  1904. 

Haviland  is  on  the  Rock  Island  Railway,  73  miles 
southwest  from  Hutchinson,  and  is  near  the  eastern 
part  of  what  is  sometimes  called  the  arid  lands,  or 
Highlands  of  Kansas.  The  Friends  have  a  good, 
strong  meeting  here ;  perhaps  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant meetings  in  Kansas  Yearly  Meeting.  The  peo- 
ple composing  the  meeting  were  mostly  reared 
Friends,  and  we  believe  there  are  no  more  substantial 
men  and  women  in  any  meeting  that  we  have  visited 
in  the  Yearly  Meeting.  The  little  town  of  Haviland 
and  the  surroimding  country  is  one  of  the  best,  taken 
as  a  whole,  morally  and  religiously,  in  the  state  of 
Kansas.  The  people  generally  are  industrious  and 
prosperous,  have  good  homes,  and  are  amply  sup- 
plied with  outward  blessings  and  comforts.  Friends 
have  a  good  Academy  here,  where  the  young  men  and 
women  of  Haviland  Quarterly  Meeting  can  receive  a 
guarded  Christian  education. 

But  the  readers  of  these  reminiscences  are  not  to 
think  from  the  foregoing  remarks  that  Haviland  is 
entirely  an  earthly  paradise.  As  storms  scourge  the 
lazy  elements  into  life  and  purify  the  atmosphere,  de- 
stroying disease,  and  carry  away  the  poisonous  va- 
pors, so  revivals,  rekindlings  and  recalls  are  neces- 
sary to  vitalize  the  church  of  the  living  God ;  to  lift 
up  a  standard  against  the  enemy,  guard  the  gates 
against  the  assaults  of  Satan,  reprove  the  unruly  in 
the  church,  comfort  the  feeble-minded,  induce  the 
backslidden  to  return  to  the  Father's  house,  encour- 


We  Need  Revivals,  635 

age  the  despondent,  and  exhort  the  strong  and  willing 
to  faithfulness  in  the  Lord's  work. 

To  this  end  God  has  set  watchmen  upon  the  walls 
of  Zion,  who  shall  not  hold  their  peace  day  nor  night, 
but  lift  up  their  voice  like  a  trumpet  and  show  the 
house  of  Israel  their  sins,  and  teach  Jacob  his  trans- 
gressions. 

It  is  short-sightedness,  and  spiritual  blindness, 
and  ignorance  to  suppose  the  days  of  revivals  are 
past,  and  that  evangelists  are  no  more  needed ;  alarms 
not  to  be  sounded  in  the  ears  of  sinners ;  the  retribu- 
tive justice  of  God  is  to  be  left  out  of  sight,  and  no 
stirring  appeals  be  made  to  flee  from  the  wrath  that 
will  surely  come  to  the  impenitent ;  and  no  woe  sound- 
ed in  the  ears  of  those  who  are  at  ease  in  the  church. 

The  appeals  to  men,  unregenerate,  to  a  stumbling 
church,  must  still  be  made,  as  they  always  have  been 
made  by  showing  them  their  sins,  and  the  conse- 
quences of  sin;  then  showing  them  God's  remedy  for 
sin,  and  the  blessings  and  benefits  of  this  wonderful 
salvation  from  sin,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord 
alone. 

And  in  the  presentation  of  God's  truth,  and  get- 
ting men  to  accept  it,  methods  are  not  to  be  taken 
into  account;  only  as  they  are  the  best  means  to  be 
used  under  the  circumstances,  at  the  time.  New 
methods  and  old  methods  in  themselves  are  nothing. 
The  Gospel  of  the  Son  of  God  is  not  a  twentieth  cen- 
tury Gospel,  for  the  present  age,  for  the  learned,  and 
cultivated,  but  the  Gospel  of  the  past,  present,  and 
the  future;  and  for  all  time.  As  long  as  sin  is  sin, 
and  Christ  is  the  only  way,  and  as  long  as  hell  is  hell, 
and  heaven  is  heaven. 

All  the  cultivation  of  the  human  intellect,  and  all 
the  polish  of  the  learned  can  never  make  people  fit 
for  the  kingdom  of  heaven ;  they  must  be  bom  again ; 
they  must  be  born  of  the  Spirit,  and  there  always  has 


636  Good  Workers. 

been  more  or  less  outward  demonstration,  in  every 
true  revival,  and  great  manifestation  of  the  Spirit. 

Our  meetings  at  Haviland  were  well  attended 
from  the  first.  On  Sabbath  night  the  house  was 
crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity,  and  the  power  of  the 
Spirit  was  manifest  in  the  meeting,  and  some  arose 
for  prayer.  From  this  time  on,  the  meetings  in- 
creased in  interest  and  power  imtil  their  conclusion ; 
and  the  Lord  gave  continued  victory,  and  nightly 
there  were  seekers  at  the  altar  of  prayer,  and  many 
during  the  meetings  were  converted ;  many  backslid- 
ers were  reclaimed. 

There  were  as  many  as  forty  young  men  con- 
verted or  renewed  from  a  backslidden  state.  Most  of 
the  Membership  from  Prairie  Flower,  a  meeting  of 
Friends,  four  miles  distant,  attended  our  meetings, 
and  the  second  Sabbath  of  the  meetings  there  were 
eight  conversions  at  their  meeting.  At  Haviland 
there  were  a  number  of  elderly  Friends,  who  had  sel- 
dom if  ever  given  any  public  testimony  in  the  meet- 
ings, whose  tongues  were  imloosed  to  praise  the  Lord, 
and  speak  of  the  joys  of  God's  salvation,  and  mag- 
nify His  name. 

At  the  monthly  meeting  which  occurred  during 
the  meetings,  the  presence  of  the  Lord  was  so  gra- 
ciously manifested,  that  nearly  the  whole  meeting,  at 
times,  was  contrited  and  brought  to  tears,  and  nearly 
every  one  in  the  house  gave  praise  vocally  to  God  for 
so  wonderfully  visiting  his  people. 

One  of  the  ministers  of  Haviland  Monthy  Meet- 
ing voiced  his  praises  in  the  following  testimony :  *'I 
thank  the  Lord  for  his  wonderful  work  among  us  at 
this  time.  I  rejoice  that  so  many  have  been  con- 
verted, and  that  the  church  has  been  so  greatly 
blessed;  and  I  thank  him  for  sending  Nathan  and 
Esther  Frame  among  us,  for  their  work  has  not  been 
to  scatter  and  divide,  as  some  other  evangelists  have 


Meetings  Divinely  Ordered.  637. 

done,  but  their  work  has  cemented  the  church  to- 
gether in  love."  The  church-membership  joined 
heartily  in  the  work,  by  going  out  into  the  congrega- 
tion and  talking  personally  with  the  unsaved  and  per- 
suading them  to  give  their  hearts  to  the  Lord  and  be- 
come Christians. 

There  were  also  a  number  of  most  earnest  work- 
ers among  the  young  men  and  women,  who  brought 
their  associates  to  the  altar  of  prayer,  and  remained 
with  them  until  they  were  converted.  It  was  a  com- 
mon occurrence  during  the  meetings  for  any  of  the 
members  to  engage  in  vocal  exercise,  song,  prayer, 
praise  and  testimony,  as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utter- 
ance; and  there  was  especially  this  freedom  in  the 
opening  of  the  meetings ;  some  one  of  the  ministers 
or  members  usually  having  been  designated  to  open 
the  meetings,  as  seemed  to  them  best ;  then  any  one  in 
the  meeting  might  exercise  their  gift  as  the  Lord  led 
them.  There  was  no  confusion  in  all  this ;  there  was 
a  constraining  spirit,  as  well  as  a  moving  spirit,  that 
seemed  to  guide  each  one  to  do  just  what  the  Lord 
had  for  them  to  do  in  the  meetings,  and  though  the 
meetings  were  not  humanly  programmed,  they  were 
Divinely  ordered.  One  of  us  usually  preached  at  each 
meeting  and  yet  there  was  ample  time  and  opportun- 
ity for  the  exercise  of  the  gifts  of  all. 

Esther  held  a  meeting  for  women  and  girls,  and 
the  house  was  well  filled,  many  coming  from  the  coun- 
try five  or  six  miles.  The  power  of  the  spirit  was 
poured  out  upon  the  mothers  and  daughters,  so  that 

Eaviland,  Kansas,  Novem'her,  1904. 

for  nearly  two  hours  they  were  bathed  in  tears,  like 
gentle  spring  showers;  Christians  wept  for  joy  and 
sinners  were  brought  imder  conviction.  This  meet- 
ing seemed  much  like  some  meetings  that  George  Fox 


638  The  Floor  Wet  With  Tears, 

mentions  in  his  journal,  when  the  floor  was  wet  with 
their  tears;  and  it  was  hard  for  them  to  part  from 
each  other.  The  meeting  continued  from  ten  o'clock 
in  the  morning  until  near  two  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon. 

In  speaking  of  this  series  of  meetings  some  of 
the  Friends  remarked :  **They  were  reminded  of  the 
meetings  held  among  Friends  thirty  years  ago,  when 
the  refreshings  came  upon  the  church  then. 

To  mention  all  the  Friends  by  name  in  Haviland 
meeting,  and  vicinity,  who  hold  a  loving  memory  in 
our  hearts,  we  should  have  to  record  most  of  the 
names  on  the  meetings'  books,  but  we  must  mention  a 
few  of  them,  especially  where  we  were  entertained 
while  there.  Wlien  I  was  alone  at  Haviland  in  the 
summer  of  1904  I  made  my  home  with  Frank  and 
Elvira  Parker  and  with  Nixon  and  Minnie  Rice. 
At  both  of  these  dear  homes  I  was  entertained  freely. 

When  Esther  came  our  home,  by  invitation,  was 
at  Isaac  and  Martha  Woodward's,  and  we  had  all  the 
care  and  loving  attention  that  we  needed.  They  fur- 
nished us  a  horse  and  bugy  so  that  we  could  visit 
families.  Our  dear  friend  Martha  Woodard  was 
very  careful  of  Esther,  giving  every  assistance  to  her 
that  she  could. 

There  are  others  that  we  desire  to  mention: 
Laura  Woodward,  who  three  times  prepared  us  an 
ample  lunch  when  we  were  going  away  on  the  train, 
filling  a  large  box  each  time  with  such  good  things  as 
are  best  adapted  for  a  journey,  and  arranging  it  with 
as  much  delicacy  as  if  it  was  for  a  wedding  feast, 
while  Lawrence  the  manly  merchant,  showed  his  ap- 
preciation in  many  other  ways  that  were  just  as  sub- 
stantial. Pais  Newlin's  family,  Stacy  Bevans,  Ben- 
jamin and  Anna  Albertson,  Nerius  Mendenhall, 
Oliver  Gilbert,  William  Ellis,  Thomas  Kendall,  Ira 
and  Riley  Woodward,  with  many   others,  brought 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame.  639 

their  '^alabaster  boxes"  of  precious  ointment  and 
poured  the  contents  out  upon  us,  and  the  rich  per- 
fume will  ever  remain  a  sacred  remembrance,  and, 
like  the  woman  of  whom  mention  is  made  in  the 
** Sacred  Book,"  it  shall  be  told  as  a  memorial  where- 
ever  these  Reminiscences  are  read.  They  all  shaU 
receive  their  reward. 

We  close  the  account  of  this  most  interesting 
meeting  with  a  letter  written  for  the  American 
Friend  January  5th,  1905 ; 

*^  Communicated, 

"Haviland  is  a  bright  star  in  Southwestern  Kan- 
sas. In  the  village  is  located  the  Haviland  Academy, 
under  the  care  of  Professor  Milton  Kenworthy,  ably 
assisted  by  Emily  Johnson.  These  instructors  were 
former  students  of  Penn  College,  Iowa.  Friends  or 
others  wishing  to  place  their  children  under  whole- 
some instruction  would  do  well  to  put  them  in  this 
institution  of  learning. 

*^But  I  wish  to  speak  more  especially  of  the  most 
successful  revival  ever  conducted  in  Southwestern 
Kansas.  It  was  conducted  by  these  eminent  and 
gifted  evangelists,  Nathan  T.  and  Esther  G.  Frame. 
Mrs.  Frame  held  her  audience  spellbound,  each  per- 
son in  the  congregation  anxious  to  hear  every  word 
that  she  uttered.  Her  wonderful  sermons  and  beau- 
tiful illustrations  at  all  times  held  her  audience  en- 
tranced. We  have  never  had  such  a  spiritual  feast 
and  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  history  of 
this  community.  There  were  many  conversions  and 
renewals.  The  membership  was  vitalized,  strength- 
ened and  built  up  in  the  Christian  graces.  Many 
bright  testimonies  were  given,  some  of  them  by  per- 
sons who  have  never  been  in  the  habit  of  testifying  in 
public. 


640  Friends  First  Settlers. 

**Tlie  auditorium  was  packed,  some  coming  as 
far  as  ten  miles.  We  are  all  sorry  to  have  them  leave 
us.  Nathan  Frame  delivered  several  excellent  doc- 
trinal sermons,  among  them  a  masterly  discourse  on 
Christian  baptism.  This  was  the  closing  sermon  of 
the  series.  These  evangelists  work  together  in  per- 
fect harmony  in  the  ministry.  Their  profound 
knowledge  of  Bible  literature  and  their  broad  and 
rich  experience  extending  over  many  years,  fit  them 
for  most  successful  revival  service.  They  have  been 
united  together  in  our  Heavenly  Father's  service 
ever  since  they  began  their  evangelistic  work.  They 
will  certainly  have  an  abundant  entrance  into  the 
realms  of  bliss  when  their  ministry  shall  be  finished. 

^'Nerius  Mendenhall.'"' 

The  Friends  were  among  the  first  settlers  in 
Kiowa  County,  and  those  who  settled  near  where 
Haviland  now  stands,  had  to  endure  many  privations. 
All  their  supplies  had  to  be  brought  from  a  long  dis- 
tance. The  people  lived  in  the  most  primitive  way. 
Many  of  them  lived  in  *' dug-outs,"  or  earth  houses, 
covered  with  prairie  sod.  The  country  then  was  one 
wide  treeless  plain,  save  here  and  there  a  gnarled  and 
wind-blown  Cottonwood,  or  sand  hills  covered  some- 
times with  sand  plum-bushes. 

The  tough  prairie  sod  had  to  be  broken,  the  grain 
sown  and  cereals  planted.  There  were  few  places 
where  surface  water  could  be  obtained.  Wells  had 
to  be  sunken  from  seventy  to  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet.  The  stock  had  to  be  sought  often  on  the  far 
plain,  where  they  had  wandered  during  the  night. 

The  first  crops  planted  were  bountiful,  and  rich 
harvests  were  gathered  for  the  first  few  years. 

Then  came  the  drouth  and  grasshoppers,  in 
1887;  the  hot  winds  and  grasshoppers  destroyed 
the  crops,  the  natural  grass  dried  and  the  wide 
prairie  became  a  parched  desert;  the  kaffer  corn 


Drouth  and  Grasshoppers.  641 

died;  many  of  the  cattle  starved,  and  after  the 
first  winter  had  ended  much  of  the  stock  was  gone. 
Then  the  spring  came  with  promise  of  crops,  but 
when  the  summer  advanced  the  hot  winds  again 
blasted  all  the  fair  prospects,  the  crops  melted  away, 
and  the  country  was  almost  destitute.  The  dust 
dragon  traversed  the  roadways  and  made  travel  al- 
most impossible  and  the  country  was  almost  deserted. 

But  another  change  came  and  many  people  came 
back  and  again  took  possession  of  their  abandoned 
homes  and  crops  were  again  bountiful.  God  had 
visited  the  country.  Now  they  learned  how  to  treat 
the  soil  and  the  crops  sprang  into  existence,  as  if  by 
magic,  and  they  had  luxuriant  harvests. 

Friends  organized  their  first  meeting  almost  a 
mile  north  of  where  the  village  of  Haviland  now 
stands,  where  they  built  their  first  meeting-house,  a 
**sod  house,"  as  illustrated  on  another  page,  and  here 
they  worshipped  the  God  of  their  Fathers  in  Spirit 
and  in  Truth ;  and  now  Friends  are  building  a  beau- 
tiful new  house  of  worship  in  the  village  costing  more 
than  three  thousand  dollars. 

Some  of  the  dear  fathers  and  mothers  have  gone 
and  some  remain  to  tell  their  struggles  to  their  chil- 
dren, and  tell  how  the  Lord  has  prospered  and  blessed 
them. 

We  remained  a  day  or  two  after  the  close  of  our 
meetings  at  Haviland,  Kansas,  for  Esther  to  rest  a 
little,  then  went  to  Mesilla  Park,  New  Mexico,  to  our 
daughter's.  Mi's,  Woaton's,  arriving  on  Christmas 
morning,  1904. 

Mesilla  Park,  New  Mexico. 

Esther  was  completely  broken  down  and  sick; 
she  had  used  all  the  strength  she  could  summon  for 
the  last  few  days  of  the  meetings  at  Haviland,  and 


642  Can  Afford  to  he  Sick  for  Christ. 

now  when  the  reaction  came  she  was  nervously  pros- 
trated. 

Our  work  for  the  year  1904  was  completed.  I 
was  not  well,  and  we  were  very  thankful  that  the 
Lord  had  given  us  strength  to  get  to  our  daughter's 
after  the  battle  was  over. 

Soon  after  arriving  at  Mesilla  Park  we  both 
had  a  severe  attack  of  Lagrippe  and  were  confined  to 
the  house  for  almost  a  month.  But  gradually  the 
warm  winter  sunshine  and  the  pure  invigorating 
atmosphere  brought  returning  health  in  a  measure, 
at  least  to  me,  and  Esther  felt  some  better,  but  suf- 
fered much  with  prostration  and  bodily  pain,  but 
said  to  me  often,  "Nathan,  I  can  afford  to  be  sick  for 
the  sake  of  the  salvation  of  precious  souls.  My  sick- 
ness did  not  come  from  dissipation  and  I  am  rejoiced 
that  he  counts  me  worthy  to  suffer  for  him. 

*'My  life  is  hidden  with  Christ  in  God,  and  I 
praise  his  name  for  redemption  through  his  blood. 

"To  be  with  our  dear  children  and  enjoy  their 
company  a  little  time  without  the  responsibility  of 
meetings  was  like  resting  under  the  shadows  of  the 
palm  trees  in  the  desert  or  receiving  good  news  from 
a  far  country." 

Oklahoma  Territory. 

I  remained  at  the  park  until  the  18th  of  March 
and  then  went  to  the  Shawnee  Indian  Mission  near 
Tecumseh,  Oklahoma.  William  and  Abby  Haworth 
was  general  superintendents  of  the  Friends  Indian 
Mission  and  warmly  welcomed  me  to  their  home  and 
entertained  me  while  I  visited  some  of  the  Friends 
meetings  near  by. 

There  is  a  Friends  meeting-house  at  Tecumseh, 
Oklahoma,  two  and  one-half  miles  from  Shawnee 
Mission,  standing  on  the  United  States  Government 


Friends  Indian  Mission,  Tecumseh,  Okla.   643 

Reserv^e,  and  formerly  an  Indian  mission  station. 
This  house  is  the  property  of  Kansas  Yearly  Meeting. 

The  Gospel  has  been  preached  by  Friends  in  this 
part  of  the  coimtry  since  1872,  and  the  Protestant 
churches  have,  many  of  them,  been  organized  in  the 
mission  stations  where  our  missionaries  first 
preached  the  Gospel  to  the  Indians  and  the  white  peo- 
ple who  first  came  among  them. 

These  Indian  missions,  imder  the  care  of  the 
Associated  Indian  Committee  of  Friends  in  Okla- 
homa and  the  Indian  Territory  and  some  other 
places,  have  not  only  been  a  civilizing  and  Christian- 
izing power  among  the  Indians,  but  the  white  people 
have  received  as  great  a  blessing  as  the  Indians  them- 
selves.   These  mission  stations  with  the  devoted  mis- 

Tecumseli,  OklaJioma,  1905. 

sionaries  who  gave  their  lives,  to  tell  and  live  the 
beautiful  story  of  Jesus  and  his  love,  have  been  truly 
a  heavenly  light  in  the  midst  of  the  surrounding  dark- 
ness. 

Joseph  Newsome  came  as  a  missionary  among 
the  Indians  in  1872,  and  there  was  a  mission  station 
established  near  Shawneetown  which  is  called  the 
Shawnee  Mission,  and  next  came  Elkanah  and  Irena 
Beard  and  remained  until  1879.  The  United  States 
agents  during  this  time  were  Friends  except  one. 
Franklin  Elliott  was  missionary  six  years,  until  1885. 
Charles  W.  and  Rachel  Kirk  came  and  he  remained 
one  year,  he  then  being  called  home.  She  is  still  in 
the  work  with  Elizabeth  Test  among  the  Kickapoos. 

About  the  year  1886  George  and  Ella  Hartley 
came  and  had  general  oversight  of  the  Indian  mission 
work  of  Friends,  leaving  October,  1905,  at  which  time 
W.  P.  and  Abbigail  Haworth  took  charge. 


644  Tecumsehj  OMahom<i. 

Only  those  who  have  had  charge  of  this  great 
work  as  a  committee  and  as  missionaries  among  the 
Indians  can  appreciate  the  responsibility  that  rested 
upon  them.  **They  learned  to  labor  and  to  wait." 
But  God,  who  marks  the  sparrows  fall,  keeps  the 
books,  shall  say  to  them  in  the  coming  day,  *' Inas- 
much as  ye  did  minister  unto  the  least  of  my  little 
ones,  ye  did  it  unto  me."  Come  ye  blessed,  enter 
into  the  joy  of  your  Lord. 

After  visiting  some  of  the  mission  stations  and 
holding  a  few  meetings  with  W.  P.  Haworth,  I  held  a 
week's  meeting  at  the  Friends  meeting-house  at  Te- 
cumseh. 

These  meetings  were  blessed  seasons  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord.  All  the  ministers  and  many  of 
the  prominent  people  of  the  churches  of  Tecumseh  at- 
tended. All  the  ministers  joined  in  an  earnest  re- 
quest for  me  to  send  for  Esther  and  hold  a  union 
meeting. 

I  immediately  wrote  her  and  she  answered  she 
would  come  as  soon  as  she  was  able  to  work.  She  was 
in  New  Mexico  for  her  health  and  had  been  quite  sick 
and  was  just  recovering.  Following  is  a  News  report 
of  the  arrangement  for  the  union  meetings : 
Revival  Meetings, 

The  long  looked  for  time  has  arrived— not 
alone  in  Wales,  Norway,  Ireland  and  England,  but 
also  in  Tecumseh. 

Union  Meetings,  Tecumseh,  Oklahoma,  April,  1905. 

All  the  pastor  of  the  city  met  in  the  M.  E.  Church 
Monday  of  this  week  and  decided  that  there  should 
be  a  united  effort  made  for  the  salvation  of  souls. 
The  following  churches  of  the  city  were  represented 
by  their  pastors  with  Brother  William  P.  Haworth 
of  the  Shawnee  Mission  for  the  Friends. 


Tecumseh  Union  Meetings,  645 

It  was  decided  that  the  meetings  be  conducted 
by  the  Reverends  Nathan  T.  and  Esther  G.  Frame, 
the  noted  Quaker  evangelists  from  Ohio. 

The  meetings  will  commence  on  Monday  night, 
April  10th,  1905,  at  the  new  Presbyterian  Church. 

The  following  executive  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  have  charge  of  the  preparations : 

Committee  of  Arrangements— Presbyterian 
Church,  J.  W.  Lewis;  Christian  Church,  J.  W. 
Saxion;  Friends  Church,  W.  J.  Carson;  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  Judge  Ray;  Baptist  Church,  T. 
L.  Lucas. 

The  meetings  began  as  announced  by  the  com- 
mittee. The  meeting-house  was  filled  the  first  night 
and  there  was  a  revival  spirit  among  the  people.  The 
various  churches  had  not  been  in  harmony  with  each 
other  and  the  people  seemed  much  pleased  that  the 
churches  had  now  united  in  these  meetings. 

Esther  did  not  arrive  for  one  week  after  the 
meetings  began  and  there  was  a  great  desire  to  see 
and  hear  the  Quaker  woman  whose  fame  had  pre- 
ceded her. 

The  congregations  increased  each  night  and  the 
meetings  grew  in  interest  all  the  time.  A  short  time 
after  Esther's  arrival  many  stood  up  for  prayer  and 
the  altar  was  soon  thronged  with  penitents  and 
nightly  conversions  occurred  and  the  interest  in  the 
meetings  spread  many  miles  into  the  country.  We 
copy  here  a  notice  from  the  Shawnee  Herald: 

"The  evangelists,  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame, 
continue  to  hold  the  fort  in  Tecumseh  and  to  van- 
quish the  hosts  of  Satan.  The  interest  and  influence 
of  the  meetings  are  being  extended  for  many  miles 
into  the  country  and  to  the  surrounding  villages  and 
towns.  Many  of  our  prominent  citizens  say  *we  have 
never  had  such  great  meetings  in  our  city.'  To  any- 
one who  has  known  the  condition  of  the  community 


646  Beports  from  the  Press, 

religiously  and  the  attitude  of  the  churches  toward 
each  other,  it  might  well  be  said;  *We  have  seen 
strange  things  in  Tecumseh/ 

'*  Denominational  lines  for  the  time  seem  to  be 
obliterated,  and  the  saying, '  See  how  these  Christians 
love  each  other'  can  be  used  in  truth. 

*'Last  night  was  a  great  meeting,  with  a  crowded 
house.  The  old  time  songs  are  being  sung  with  a 
heartiness  and  enthusiasm  that  is  refreshing  indeed 
in  these  times  of  formality.  The  sermon  by  Mrs. 
Frame  was  replete  with  logic  and  eloquence  and  Gos- 
pel truth." 

Another  account  says:  *'The  union  meetings  at 
Tecumseh  still  continue  with  increasing  inter- 
est. Nightly  the  large  audience  room  is  crowded  with 
our  best  people  to  hear  the  noted  Quaker  evangelists, 
Nathan  and  Esther  Frame,  preach  the  Gospel  with  a 
power  and  clearness  that  is  moving  the  public  mind 
as  it  has  never  been  moved  before.  These  evangelists 
are  great  preachers  in  the  highest  sense  in  clearness 
of  teaching  gospel  truth. 

''We  might  be  allowed  to  say  of  Mrs.  Frame,  as 
some  question  the  right  of  women  to  preach,  that  if 
she  has  an  equal  in  the  pulpit  we  have  failed  to  hear 
them.  Her  sermons  are  logical,  her  language  chaste, 
her  illustrations  are  well  chosen  to  portray  the  great 
truths  she  so  eloquently  teaches,  and  she  enforces 
what  she  says  with  a  power  that  is  almost  irresistable. 
Her  bearing  at  all  times  is  womanly  and  modest. 
Rev.  Mr.  Frame  has  preached  some  remarkable  ser- 
mons on  the  great  doctrines  of  the  Bible.  None  of 
our  citizens  can  afford  to  miss  these  revival  meetings 
or  miss  getting  the  benefit  of  these  messages  of  salva- 
tion. 

''All  the  ministers  and  all  the  people  in  Tecumseh 
are  invited  to  engage  in  these  most  blessed  services 
and  work  that  is  now  going  on  among  us  as  never  be- 


Union  Meetings  Close.  647 

fore.  Last  night  every  available  space  in  the  large 
audience  room  was  filled  and  the  meeting  was  one  of 
wonderful  power  and  interest.  A  large  number  went 
forward  for  the  prayers  of  the  church  and  many 
more  stood  up  in  the  congregation  desiring  the 
prayers  of  Christians. 

*'At  the  conclusion  of  the  meeting  that  beautiful 
and  appropriate  hymn  was  sung  with  great  effect, 
*  We're  Marching  to  Zion, '  while  the  audience  mingled 
together  in  an  *  old-fashioned  hand-shaking'  and 
there  was  great  rejoicing  manifested.  A  most  re- 
markable feature  of  these  meetings  is  the  large  pre- 
dominance of  men  who  attend." 

Our  last  meeting  in  Tecumseh  was  noted  in  the 
papers  as  follows : 

'^  Union  Revival  Meeting. 

**The  union  meetings  that  have  been  going  on  in 
Tecumseh  for  the  past  three  weeks  under  the  leader- 
ship of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  have  been  a  marked  suc- 
cess. Many  sinners  have  been  converted.  The  Chris- 
tians have  been  quickened  together  in  love  as  never 
before.  People  came  from  many  miles  in  the  country 
to  hear  the  preaching.  One  of  the  grandest  and  best 
meetings  ever  held  in  this  country  was  on  Sabbath 
afternoon  by  Mrs.  Frame,  for  women  only.  Many 
women  who  had  never  been  heard  to  speak*  in  a  public 
meeting  declared  they  had  been  greatly  blessed,  and 
from  now  they  would  testify  to  what  the  Lord  had 
done  for  them. 

''The  influence  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  for  good 
will  be  felt  in  Tecumseh  for  many  years  to  come  and 
the  good  seed  sown  will  yet  bring  a  more  bountiful 
harvest. 

"Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  are  doing  a  great  work. 
Any  one  who  will  listen  to  Mrs.  Frame  and  not  be 


648  Esther  at  Sterling,  Kansas, 

benefited  must  indeed  be  a  hardened  sinner.  These 
meetings  that  have  been  held  for  more  than  three 
weeks  have  created  such  an  impression  among  the 
people  in  the  town  and  in  the  surrounding  country  as 
will  never  be  forgotten.  And  though  the  meetings 
concluded  last  night,  the  interest  was  greater  than  at 
any  time  since  they  began.  The  preaching,  all  of  it, 
was  of  the  very  best  character,  plain,  simple,  logical 
and  Scriptural.  Mrs.  Frame  is  certainly  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  and  eloquent  ministers  to  whom  we 
have  ever  listened,  and  we  have  never  heard  her  ex- 
celled as  a  pulpit  orator.  Mr.  Frame  is  a  great 
preacher  and  a  most  remarkable  Bible  expositor. 

**We  rejoice  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  ever  came 
to  our  city  and,  and  should  they  return  at  some  future 
time,  they  will  always  receive  a  royal  welcome  from 
our  citizens." 

These  meetings  greatly  united  the  churches  to- 
gether in  love  and  at  the  same  time  made  them  more 
loyal  to  their  own  churches.  Sectarianism  was  al- 
most done  away  and  the  membership  of  the  different 
sects  went  back  to  tell  how  much  they  loved  each 
other. 

When  Esther  was  coming  from  New  Mexico  to 
Tecumseh  she  stopped  at  Sterling,  Kansas,  and  held 
some  meetings  with  Friends  for  three  or  four  nights, 
remaining  over  one  Sabbath. 

The  Lord  greatly  blessed  her  in  preaching  the 
Gospel.  The  Friends  at  Sterling  were  very  kind  to 
her.  Ira  S.  Bundy,  the  pastor,  did  all  he  could  to 
assist  her,  and  all  the  Friends  gave  her  a  most  cordial 
welcome. 

She  had  a  most  excellent  home  with  dear  Brother 
and  Sister  Webb.  May  the  Lord's  richest  blessing 
ever  rest  upon  them  and  all  theirs. 


That  Which  Wins,  649 


Shawnee  Mission,  May,  1905. 

After  the  close  of  our  meetings  at  Tecumseh  we 
went  to  Shawnee  Indian  Mission.  We  held  a  week's 
meeting  at  night  with  the  Indian  boys  and  girls  who 
attend  the  Government  school. 

These  were  most  blessed  meetings;  there  were 
from  eighty  to  one  hundred  attended  the  meetings 
each  night  with  a  few  white  people  and  most  of  the 
teachers  from  the  Government  school. 

Mr.  Thackeray,  the  Indian  Agent,  was  in  full 
sympathy  with  the  meetings  and  did  all  he  could  to 
have  the  Indians  attend.  Most  of  the  Indian  boys 
and  girls  who  attend  the  Government  school  speak 
English  quite  well,  but  are  reticent  when  in  the  com- 
pany of  white  people,  especially  if  the  whites  are 
strangers,  and  one  might  suppose  they  could  not  un- 
derstand what  you  were  saying,  when  your  language 
is  quite  plain  to  them. 

Many  of  them  have  been  in  the  Government 
schools  much  of  their  lives,  and  yet  they  can  be  as 
stolid  and  forbidding  in  their  manner  as  the  full 
grown  and  mature  wild  Indian  of  the  plains.  With 
each  other  and  the  white  people  with  whom  they  are 
well  acquainted,  and  in  whom  they  have  confidence, 
they  act  much  as  our  own  children  do  under  like  cir- 
cumstances. That  which  wins  them  soonest  and 
seems  permanent  for  good  to  them  longest  is  the  Gos- 
pel of  Christ,  made  known  to  them  by  those  who  ex- 
hibit to  them  in  their  own  lives,  as  well  as  teach  it 
from  the  book.  They  want  to  see  an  exhibition  of  the 
Spirit  of  Christ. 

These  Indian  children  seemed  to  understand  the 
Gospel  message  as  clearly  as  persons  of  the  white 
race.    So  when  Esther  put  the  question  to  them  to 


650  Meeting  with  Indian  Girls. 

stand  in  the  audience  if  they  desired  to  be  Christians, 
a  number  of  them  arose  in  response  to  the  question. 

She  then  told  them  that  Jesus  loved  them  and 
wanted  to  give  them  a  good  Spirit,  and  then  she  went 
out  among  them  and  put  her  arms  aromad  these  dark- 
skinned  Indian  girls  and  told  them  she  loved  them 
too.  They  wept  and  kneeled  with  her  in  prayer  and 
some  of  them  said  Jesus  had  given  them  a  new  heart. 

Our  last  meeting  at  the  Indian  Mission  at  Shaw- 
nee was  of  great  interest.  The  Mission  meeting- 
house was  well  filled  and  there  was  a  real  revival 
spirit  among  the  Indian  boys  and  girls.  A  niunber  of 
the  Indian  men  from  the  Indian  Reservation  were 
there. 

Esther  had  arranged  with  Mr.  Thackeray,  the  In- 
dian Agent,  to  have  an  after-meeting  with  the  Indian 
girls  who  desired  to  become  Christians,  and  she 
asked  them  to  stand  to  their  feet  so  she  might  see 
them,  and  immediately  almost  the  whole  audience 
arose  to  their  feet. 

Then  they  were  dismissed  except  the  girls  and 
some  of  the  teachers  of  the  Government  school. 
These  remained  for  a  time  of  conference  and  prayer. 
Many  of  the  Indian  girls  came  forward  and  knelt  as 
penitents. 

Shawnee  Mission,  Oklahoma,  May,  1905. 

Some  of  them  found  peace  in  Christ  before  the 
meeting  closed  and  declared  to  their  companions  they 
loved  Jesus  and  had  left  their  old  religion. 

We  were  now  compelled  to  close  these  good  meet- 
ings. Esther  was  almost  nervously  prostrated  and 
completely  broken  down  in  health  and  and  she  re- 
turned to  New  Mexico  to  remain  with  our  children 
for  a  time. 


No  Hope  But  Christ.  651 

Our  hearts  yearned  for  the  unsaved  all  around 
us  and  we  greatly  desired  that  we  might  have  re- 
mained and  prosecuted  the  work  among  the  Indians 
and  white  people  who  were  just  as  much  in  need  of 
salvation  as  the  Indians.  We  saw  that  the  white  peo- 
ple were  almost  wholly  devoted  to  money  making  and 
in  their  mad  rush  of  business  had  forgotten  God. 
We  saw  the  thousands  perishing  all  around  us  and 
scattered  as  sheep  without  a  shepherd  in  the  cloudy 
and  dark  day.  We  beheld  the  broken  ranks  of  the 
*' Indian  tribes"  who  had  been  driven  from 
one  part  of  the  land  to  the  other  and  were  a  prey  to 
the  ungodly  white  man.  We  knew  that  nothing  but 
the  Gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  could  save  this 
mass  of  sinful  humanity  and  we  longed  to  do  our  part 
of  the  work.  The  voice  from  the  Indians  and  the 
voice  from  our  own  people  seemed  to  be  crying  in  our 
souls  continually  and  we  longed  to  tell  them  of  Jesus 
the  mighty  to  save.  But  Esther's  condition  would 
not  admit  of  any  more  work  now.  She  went  to  New 
Mexico  and  I  remained  at  Tecumseh  and  assisted  to 
organize  a  Sabbath  School  at  the  Friends  Mission 
Church  and  to  preach  on  the  coming  Sabbath. 

The  meeting  that  had  been  started  again  as  a  re- 
sult of  the  union  meetings  we  held,  were  now  doing 
nicely  with  a  good  attendance  and  much  interest  in 
them. 

I  remained  imtil  June  and  then  met  Esther  at 
Lawrence,  Kansas,  and  we  went  from  there  to  Rich- 
mond, Indiana,  and  opened  the  little  rented  cottage 

Attend  Some  Yearly  Meetings. 

that  had  been  closed  for  eight  months.  Esther's 
health  still  continued  quite  delicate.  I  attended 
some  meetings  in  our  own  yearly  meeting  during  the 
summer,  also  attended  Ohio  Yearly  Meeting.    We 


652  Mt,  Ayre,  Kansas. 

also  attended  Western  Indiana  and  Kansas  yearly 
meetings,  and  while  at  Kansas  Yearly  Meeting,  by 
invitation  of  the  pastor  of  the  Emporia  M.  E.  Church 
of  Wichita,  Esther  preached  there,  of  which  the 
pastor  writes :  *'Our  people  of  the  Emporia  Avenue 
Church  seldom  have  so  great  a  treat  intellectually 
and  spiritually  as  they  had  last  Sabbath  in  the  ser- 
mon given  by  Mrs.  Esther  G.  Frame,  field  evangelist 
of  the  Friends  Church.  A  deep  spiritual  experience 
was  experienced  by  all  present.  We  consider  Esther 
G.  Frame  the  greatest  woman  preacher  and  ev^angel- 
ist  before  the  public  today.'* 

On  November  17th  we  again  closed  our  house  at 
Richmond,  Indiana,  and  went  to  Mt.  Ayre,  Kansas ; 
this  meeting  is  in  the  country,  seven  miles  from  the 
town  of  Alton,  and  two  hundred  miles  west  of  Lea- 
venworth, Kansas. 

Mt.  Ayre,  Kansas,  November,  1905. 

The  meetings  were  well  attended  from  the  first, 
a  large  number  of  young  men  and  women  being  pres- 
ent ;  indeed  they  composed  the  larger  portion  of  the 
congregations.  Many  of  the  church  members  were 
cold  and  backslidden,  yet  we  found  those  who  were 
true  and  faithful,  and  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was  soon 
felt  in  the  meetings  and  the  hearts  of  the  people  were 
open  to  receive  the  messages.  Many  came  forward 
and  confessed  their  sins  and  were  converted,  the 
backslidden  were  reclaimed  and  again  became  wit- 
nesses for  their  Saviour. 

The  young  men  and  women  who  were  renewed        j 
took  an  active  part  in  the  meetings  and  urged  their        \ 
young  friends  who  were  unconverted  to  give  them- 
selves to  the  Lord.    One  young  woman,  a  beautiful 
character,  and  a  teacher  in  the  High  School,  and  who 
had  formerly  been  a  devoted  Christian,  but  had  back- 


A  Blessed  Work.  653 

slidden,  surrendered  herself  to  the  Lord,  and  told  us 
in  a  private  conversation  she  felt  she  was  called  to 
preach  the  Gospel,  but  she  had  not  surrendered  to  do 
it ;  now  she  would  obey  the  call. 

Stanley  Stanford,  the  son  of  the  family  where 
we  were  entertained,  though  a  member  of  the  church, 
was  backslidden,  and  for  quite  a  time  resisted  all  ap- 
peals to  return,  but  finally  one  night  when  Esther 
preached  from  the  text,  *'The  harvest  is  passed  and 
the  smnmer  is  ended  and  I  am  not  saved,"  he  arose 
in  the  audience  at  the  close  of  her  discourse  and  said : 
^^Tliat  means  me,  and  I  now  surrender  to  the  Lord 
and  desire  you  to  pray  for  me;"  and  with  others  he 
came  forward  and  was  soon  filled  with  the  joy  of  the 
Saviour. 

In  a  letter  to  us  two  months  or  more  after  the 
meetings  closed,  he  said  to  us :  ''I  am  still  saved  and 
am  doing  all  I  can  to  bring  others  to  Christ ;  my 
younger  brother  is  holding  on  to  God  and  it  would 
do  you  good  to  hear  him  pray  in  the  family ;  we  are 
all  saved  except  one  brother,  and  praise  the  Lord,  I 
believe  he  will  be  saved,  for  we  are  praying  for  him. 
The  cottage  prayer  meetings  you  organized  when  you 
were  here  are  still  in  a  flourishing  condition  and  they 
are  accomplishing  great  good;  nearly  all  the  young 
people  in  the  neighborhood  attend  them  and  we  find 
them  to  be  just  what  we  needed  for  our  own  good  and 
to  bring  the  others  to  Christ.  We  appoint  a  leader 
for  each  night  who  opens  the  meeting  by  reading  a 
portion  of  Scripture  and  prays,  and  then  the  meeting 
is  open  for  anyone  to  take  part  as  the  Lord  shall  lead 
them.  We  have  song,  testimony,  vocal  prayer,  and 
there  are  often  prayers  for  those  who  are  unsaved. 
Oh,  these  are  just  the  meetings  we  needed.  We  are 
going  all  over  the  neighborhood  when  we  are  invited, 
and  we  have  plenty  of  invitations." 

So  the  work  continues  after  we  are  gone. 


654  Our  Home  at  Mt.  Ayre, 

We  had  a  most  lovely  home  with  Joab  Stanfield 
and  wife.  Their  kindness  to  us  will  ever  be  remem- 
bered. They  did  all  they  could  to  make  us  comfor- 
table and  to  help  us  in  every  way  while  at  their  home. 
In  taking  us  to  meeting  each  night,  more  than  two 
miles,  though  the  weather  was  cold  and  the  nights 
dark,  and  many  times  the  wind,  piercing  and  cold, 
Joab  Stanfield  was  always  cheerful  and  ready  with 
horses  and  carriage ;  and  Mrs.  Stanfield  was  so  ten- 
der and  solicitous  concerning  Esther's  comfort,  see- 
ing that  she  was  well  wrapped  and  warm.  May  God 
ever  bless  all  of  this  dear  family. 

William  Gregory,  the  quarterly  meeting  super- 
intendent, with  his  gifted  wife,  were  always  at  the 
meetings,  if  possible,  and  very  helpful  with  prayer 
and  testimony.  Then  there  was  Edward  Gregory 
and  wife,  she  ha\'ing  a  sweet  gift  in  the  ministry. 
These  cared  for  and  helped  us  much,  as  did  many 
others  at  Mt.  Ayre ;  and  it  was  with  many  regrets  that 
we  bade  them  farewell. 

From  Mt.  Ayre,  Kansas,  we  went  to  Sterling, 
Kansas,  and  held  a  few  meetings,  but  it  being  the 
time  of  the  holidays  and  Esther's  health  so  much  im- 
paired, we  came  soon  to  New  Mexico  and  remained 
with  our  daughter,  Mrs.  Wooton,  until  about  Febru- 
ary 20th,  1906. 

We  Go  to  Netv  Mexico. 

From  New  Mexico  we  went  to  Laharp,  Kansas, 
to  hold  a  series  of  meetings  with  Friends.  Though 
Esther  was  suffering  much  still  from  overwork  and 
an  attack  of  Lagrippe,  she  said:  "Nathan,  I  believe 
it  is  the  Lord's  wHl  that  we  go  to  Laharp,  Kansas, 
and  hold  some  meetings.  I  feel  the  Lord  has  some 
work  for  us  to  do  there." 

Perhaps  a  letter  written  to  a  friend  while  on  our 


Laharp,  Kansas,  1906.  655 


Laharp,  Kansas,  February  and  March,  1906. 

way  to  New  Mexico  will  be  as  good  an  account  of  our 
work  at  Laharp  as  one  written  especially  for  the  pur- 
pose: 

Lahunta,  Colorado,  March  31st,  1906. 
Charles  Dickinson,  Paragould,  Arkansas. 

Dear  Friend:— Esther  and  I  are  on  our  way 
from  Laharp,  Kansas,  to  New  Mexico,  that  Esther 
may  rest  for  a  time  at  our  daughter's,  as  she  is  almost 
broken  down  again  after  our  strenuous  work  at  La- 
harp. We  have  just  concluded  a  five  weeks  series  of 
meetings  with  Friends,  and  though  the  conditions 
outwardly  were  very  unfavorable  the  meetings  were 
of  great  interest  and  profit  and  crowned  with  much 
success.  The  Friends  Church  is  poor  financially  and 
small  in  numbers,  and  have  undergone  many  trying 
tests  since  the  meeting  was  first  organized  at  the 
home  of  Brother  S.  A.  Johnson.  Brother  S.  A.  John- 
son was  mainly  instriunental  in  gathering  and  keep 
ing  alive  the  little  Friends  meeting  here,  he  and  his 
wife  opening  their  house  in  which  to  hold  the  meet- 
ings before  a  Friends  meeting-house  was  built,  and 
they  both  deserve  great  credit  for  the  sacrifices  they 
made  for  the  meeting  at  Laharp ;  but  for  these  dear 
friends  there  might  have  been  no  Friends  meeting 
there. 

The  weather  most  of  the  time  was  cold  and 
stormy— snow  and  sleet,  rain  and  ice.  There  was 
also  a  want  of  love  among  some  of  the  members  of  the 
church.  It  was  the  old  time  battle  against  sin  and 
Satan  that  we  have  been  fighting  for  more  than 
thirty  years.  But  in  the  face  of  the  unfavorable  con- 
ditions mentioned  and  the  opposition  of  spiritual 
foes,  the  Lord  gave  us  victory  and  we  had  a  most  gra- 
cious meeting.    There  were  more  than  one  hundred 


656  Fields  White  to  Harvest. 

converted  and  the  church  was  united  in  love  and 
more  than  thirty  persons  gave  their  names  to  become 
members  of  the  Friends  Church,  many  of  them  heads 
of  families  and  some  of  them  the  most  influential  peo- 
ple in  the  town.  Among  the  members  mentioned  was 
Judge  Mercer  and  his  wife,  and  in  giving  his  name, 
he  said,  '*I  have  been  around  to  all  the  other  churches, 
and  I  like  Friends  the  best,  for  you  Quakers  are 
preaching  the  Gospel  and  not  finding  fault  with  other 
churches." 

The  town  of  Laharp  is  in  the  *^  Natural  Gas 
Belt"  and  there  are  a  number  of  smelters  here  and 
much  of  the  town  of  Laharp  is  composed  of  the  peo- 
ple who  work  in  these  smelters  and  in  the  zinc  rolling 
mills,  and  many  of  them  are  wicked,  great  sinners, 
but  the  Gospel  messages  the  Lord  enabled  us  to  give 
reached  the  men  in  the  smelters  and  in  the  manufac- 
turing plants,  the  business  men  in  the  town  and  the 
people  in  the  country,  and  over  into  the  city  of  lola. 

We  felt  as  if  we  would  like  to  commence  our  min- 
istry over  again ;  it  seemed  we  had  just  begun  to  see 
the  greatness  of  the  work  to  be  done  and  how  few 
there  are  prepared  and  willing  to  do  the  Lord's  work 
—soul-saving  work— society  regenerating  work. 

We  felt  we  only  understood  a  little  how  best  to 
do  the  Lord's  harvesting  in  the  great  field  with  its 
ripening  grain,  and  like  good  old  Stephen  Geellett, 
we  wished  we  might  have  the  life  of  Methuselah,  and 
that  our  sun  might  never  go  down  in  order  that  we 
might  do  our  part  of  the  work.  But  it  seems  we  are 
hindered  for  a  time  on  account  of  Esther's  health 
still  being  broken  down  with  nervous  prostration.  I 
think  I  never  heard  Esther  preach  so  well  nor  with 
such  unction  and  clearness  and  with  such  spiritual 
life  and  power  and  when  every  word  she  uttered  was 
carried  so  directly  to  the  hearts  and  minds  of  the 
audience.    Her  experience  of  so  many  years  and  the 


Without  Me  Ye  Can  Do  Nothing.  657 

fullness  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ  was  in  every  message. 
And  though  many  years  have  passed  since  we  com- 
menced our  work,  we  are  more  firmly  rooted  in  the 
principles  of  Quakerism  than  we  ever  have  been. 
Any  message  without  the  Spirit  is  cold,  dead  and  life- 
less, and  we  are  just  as  helpless  now  as  when  we  just 
began  our  ministry.  Our  dear  Saviour  has  said, 
"Without  me  ye  can  do  nothing."  So  it  is  only  as 
he  abides  in  our  hearts  that  we  are  victorious. 

We  close  the  account  of  this  our  last  recorded 
work  in  these  Reminiscences  with  an  article  from  the 
lola  Register : 

^^Communicated  for  the  lola  Register. 

* '  The  series  of  meetings  that  have  been  conducted 
in  Laharp  by  the  noted  Quaker  evangelists,  Nathan 
and  Esther  Frame,  at  the  Friends  Church  are  deserv- 
ing of  more  than  a  passing  notice.  These  evangelists 
are  of  national  reputation  and  have  held  many  large 
union  meetings  in  the  cities  of  the  United  States. 
While  they  are  ministers  of  the  Friends  Church 
(Quakers),  their  work  has  not  been  confined  to  their 
own  denomination  and  their  broad  and  Catholic 
views  have  given  them  access  to  all  the  Protestant 
churches.  Many  thousands  have  been  brought  to 
Christ  through  their  ministry  and  their  converts  are 
to  be  found  in  all  the  churches.  Their  preaching  and 
teaching  is  plain  and  simple,  but  all  \\ith  a  graphic 
vi^ddness  and  with  such  pathetic  eloquence  that  from 
the  first  sentence  to  the  closing  utterance  the  audience 
is  so  deeply  interested  that  they  seem  to  be  hearing 
the  wonderful  story  of  Jesus  and  his  love  for  the  first 
time.  Our  town  oi  Laharp  has  never  been  so  stirred 
on  the  subject  of  salvation  in  its  history.  The  house 
has  been  crowded  nightly  to  its  utmost  capacity  and 
many  have  been  turned  away  for  want  of  room. 


658  Last  Meeting  at  Laharp, 

"Many  have  been  converted,  the  backslidden 
have  been  reclaimed.  A  new  impetus  has  been  given 
to  the  religious  life  of  the  community.  The  churches 
of  Laharp  have  been  drawn  into  closer  fellowship 
with  each  other,  and  all  regret  that  a  larger  building 
was  not  obtained  so  that  the  people  could  have  had 
the  benefit  and  all  taken  a  part  in  this  campaign 
against  sin  and  the  common  enemy  of  all  good.  We 
understand  there  is  a  movement  to  procure  a  large 
tent  and  have  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  return  sometime 
in  the  future  and  hold  a  union  meeting. 

''These  evangelists  preach  no  vagaries  and  use 
no  arbitrary  methods,  but  trust  to  the  plain  preach- 
ing of  the  holy  Scriptures,  accompanied  by  the  Spirit 
of  God,  to  reach  the  hearts  of  the  unsaved  and  bring 
them  to  Christ. 

"Mr.  Frame  is  a  great  doctrinal  preacher  of  the 
Gospel  and  a  fine  Scriptural  teacher. 

"Mrs.  Frame  as  a  pulpit  orator  and  an  eloquent 
logical  preacher  has  few  peers  in  the  pulpit  and  we 
have  never  heard  her  excelled.  Her  language  is 
chaste  and  refined  and  always  well  chosen  and  her 
illustrations  are  just  suited  to  enforce  the  great 
truths  she  utters.  We  regret  that  there  could  not 
have  been  a  verbatim  report  of  some  of  her  sermons. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frame  are  certainly  most  happily 
adapted  to  work  together  in  the  field  in  which  they 
are  engaged  and  neither  of  them  could  be  spared 
from  each  other  in  their  great  work.  Their  meetings 
closed  here  Tuesday  night  with  the  most  happy  and 
blessed  results.  They  leave  today  for  Mesilla  Park, 
New  Mexico,  where  Mrs.  Frame  goes  for  some  much 
needed  rest.'' 

John  A.  Laughlin  was  pastor  at  Laharp  and  en- 
tered into  the  spirit  of  the  meeting  with  all  his  heart. 
We  believe  he  is  a  man  of  God  and  devoted  to  his 
work. 


Conclusion,  April,  1906.  659 


Conclusion,  April,  1906. 

We  now  close  this  record  of  our  evangelistic  work 
of  more  than  thirty  years.  We  have  only  sketched 
a  little  of  it,  enough  to  give  a  brief  outline ;  written 
at  intervals,  and  amid  the  pressure  of  continuous 
work,  in  mentioning  some  of  the  Lord's  leadings  and 
dealings  with  us,  we  have  recorded  some  things  that 
our  readers  may  not  understand.  We  have  made 
some  plain  statements  in  these  simple  accounts  of 
facts  that  have  been  little  understood  by  those  among 
whom  we  lived  and  labored.  There  has  been  small 
opportunity  and  little  time  to  make  corrections  and 
such  revision  as  would  have  made  the  book  more 
pleasing  to  some.  There  may  be  some  things  omitted 
that  should  have  been  said,  but  we  believe  the  narra- 
tive will  accomplish  the  purpose  intended,  that  God 
will  be  glorified  and  his  name  honored  among  men. 
But  though  there  may  be  some  things  lacking  in  our 
record,  God  keeps  all  the  accounts  in  His  Book,  and 
when  his  books  are  all  opened.  His  book  of  Remem- 
'brance  for  them  that  love  Him  and  think  well  of  his 
name,  "They  shall  be  mine,  saith  The  Lord,  when  I 
come  to  make  up  my  jewels." 

Conclusion  of  Reminiscences. 

"Then  in  this  holy  book  divine ; 
We  all  shall  see,  as  we  are  seen, 
And  all  shall  know,  as  they  are  known, 
And  as  the  stars  shall  shine." 

Then  ''Death  shall  be  swallowed  up  of  victory 
and  immortal  life  shall  be  revealed." 

We  do  not  know  how  much  longer  God  shall  call 
us  to  labor  in  the  field,  but  one  thing  we  knoiv,  God 
has  been  our  refuge  and  support  and  we  are  assured 


660  Sometime, 

He  will  not  forsake  us  now,  for  His  promise  is,  ^^Lo, 
I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world." 
We  conclude  these  Reminiscences  with  a  little 
poem: 

SOMETIME. 

BY  N.  T.  FRAME. 

Though  the  fresh  young  leaves  be  faded 

And  the  flowers  have  passed  away, 

Though  the  summer  skies  be  shaded 

By  more  sombre  tints  of  gray, 

Yet  a  gleam  of  light  is  breaking 

Through  the  mists  of  coming  years, 

And  new  summers  will  be  waking 

Sweetest  music  in  our  ears — 
Sometime. 

Though  our  earthly  love  be  slighted 

And  our  friendship  cast  aside, 

Buds  of  hope  and  joy  be  blighted. 

Swept  away  by  storm  and  tide ; 

Still  we  know  that  God  is  sending 

Richer  gifts  through  grief  and  pain, 

And  our  losses,  all  are  tending 

To  increase  the  harvest  gain — 
Sometime. 

Sorrows  may,  like  ocean  billows, 

Strand  our  bark  on  treacherous  bars — 

Cypress  trees  and  weeping  willows, 

Meanwhile  veiling  e'en  the  stars  ; 

Yet  we  see  the  distant  gleaming 

From  the  lighthouse  on  the  shore. 

And  we'll  anchor  in  the  beaming 

Of  that  light  forevermore — 
Sometime. 

In  their  graves  are  loved  ones  sleeping, 

Hidden  from  our  sight  away. 

And  we  stand  beside  them  weeping, 

Waiting  for  the  dawn  of  day. 

Soon  will  cease  these  tears  of  sorrow. 

Pass  away  these  shades  of  night, 

There  will  come  a  golden  morrow 

With  the  loved  ones  robed  in  white- 
Sometime. 


Robert  Kellei% 
President  of  Earlliam  College,  Richmond,  Indiana. 


:3 


The  Lord's  Messengers. 


NOTES  BY  ESTHER  G.  FRAME 

Wlien  we  resided  in  Salem,  Iowa,  and  I  was  in  a 
great  battle  and  conflict  about  giving  myself  to  the 
ministry,  and  my  sensitive  nature  trembling  at  the 
thought  of  publicity,  I  was  yet  a  member  of  another 
church;  I  went  to  attend  a  quarterly  meeting  of 
Friends,  and  as  I  sat  back  in  the  audience, 
under  a  sense  of  the  call  to  preach;  in  the  gallery 
there  were  visiting  Friends  from  other  parts;  and 
among  those  who  came  with  minutes  from  their  home 
meetings,  was  a  very  sweet  and  lovely  woman,  Mary 
Tebbetts,  now  of  Whitier,  California.  She  removed 
her  plain  bonnet  and  delivered  a  very  precious  mes- 
sage, and  the  burden  of  it  was  for  some  one  who  was 
being  called  to  preach ;  to  work  for  the  Lord. 

Every  word  sank  deeply  into  my  heart,  and  I  sat 
weeping  with  many  tears  feeling  that  the  message  was 
for  me.  But  I  said,  "Lord,  how  can  I  go  ?"  I  shall 
never  forget  how  helpful  to  my  life  was  that  message ; 
just  when  I  needed  it  most.  I  hold  her,  and  ever 
shall,  in  precious  memory. 

At  this  meeting  Luke  Woodard  and  his  lovely 
wife  attended  the  Quarterly  Meeting,  and  were  being 
entertained  at  my  dear  parents'  home.  I  went  to 
call  upon  them,  and  Luke  Woodard  came  to  me  and 
said,  "I  feel  thee  is  called  to  preach,  will  thee  do  it?" 

I  was  feeling  deeply,  *' Woe  is  me  if  I  preach  not 
the  Gospel."  Also  Frances  W.  Thomas  came  to  our 
home,  and  had  tea  with  us  and  delivered  a  similar 
message.  These  messages  went  ringing  through 
my  whole  inner  being,  and  were  more  helpful  than  I 
can  express  in  words.  Our  first  ''Revival  Meeting" 
held  in  a  "Friends  Meetinghouse"  was  at  Eighth  St., 
Richmond,  Indiana,  in  the  basement  of  the  house,  and 
Benjamin  Johnson  was  converted  while  sitting  in  the 


662  Evangelistic  Committee  Appointed. 

audience  in  a  chair.  He  was  a  leader  in  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  at  that  time. 

William  and  Ellen  Pickett  were  friends  in  time 
of  need ;  and  we  ever  f  oimd  a  welcome  in  their  home 
and  their  memory  is  dear  to  us.  God  bless  them,  and 
theirs. 

I  was  a  delegate  to  the  first  General  Conference 
of  Friends  held  in  America,  and  have  been  a  delegate 
to  all  except  one ;  and  was  also  a  delegate  to  the  first 
Five  Years'  Meeting  of  Friends.  We  attended  the 
first  Biennial  Sabbath  School  Conference,  and  were 
delegates  at  two  of  these  conferences.  We  also  at- 
tended the  first  General  Meeting  held  in  these  later 
days. 

We  preached  out  of  doors,  standing  in  a  wagon, 
that  we  might  have  a  place  to  speak  to  the  vast  multi- 
tude of  people  that  thronged  us  all  about,  and  who 
were  most  eager  to  hear. 

The  subject  of  there  being  an  Evangelistic  Com- 
mittee appointed  to  have  care  of  that  work  was 
brought  before  the  "Select  Meeting  of  Ministers  and 
Elders"  of  Indiana  Yearly  Meeting  by  that  very  ex- 
cellent and  trustworthy  man,  Daniel  Hill.  With  a 
number  of  others  I  was  appointed  on  that  committee 
to  take  into  consideration  the  propriety  of  having  an 
** Evangelistic  Committee"  appointed,  and  if  thought 
advisable  we  were  to  bring  forward  names  to  consti- 
tute such  a  committee. 

We  were  favored  to  select  a  very  efficient  com- 
mittee, to  which  the  meeting  gave  its  full  approval. 
We  saw  the  first  "Free  Will  Offering"  for  the  Lord 
for  Evangelistic  work;  and  as  the  tithes  were 
being  brought  in  by  the  people  the  tears  flowed 
from  the  multitudes  composing  the  congrega- 
tion.   The  windows  of  Heaven  were  opened  truly. 


Free  Will  Offering.  663 

and  there  came  such  a  blessing  we  could  not  contain 
it,  and  our  cups  of  joy  ran  over. 

Eobert  W.  Douglas  was  the  first  General  Evan- 
gelistic Superintendent  among  Friends  and  was  suc- 
cessful in  his  work. 

Jane  Jones  and  myself  were  the  first  women 
ministers  who  preached  on  the  streets  of  Richmond, 
Indiana.  We  preached  at  the  Market  House,  railway 
depot  and  elsewhere. 

Luther  B.  Gordon,  a  brother  of  mine,  who  was  a 
mighty  man  in  his  ministry  and  prayer,  was  one 
among  the  first  who  held  "Tract  reading  meetings" 
among  Friends  from  which  many  were  converted. 
His  Christian  life  was  as  beautiful  and  strong  as  his 
ministry. 

Although  we  have  traveled  many  thousands  of 
miles  in  our  work,  from  one  part  of  the  country  to 
the  other,  from  the  East  to  the  West,  North  and 
South,  on  land  and  water,  yet  in  all  these  goings, 
there  has  no  ill  or  accident  befallen  us  at  any  time. 

I  say  this  to  the  glory  of  Him  who  sent  his  angels 
to  encamp  round  about  us,  to  protect  us  amid  dangers 
seen  and  unseen. 

We  did  not  go  to  places  without  first  inquiring  of 
the  Lord  what  we  should  do,  when  to  start  and  what 
route  we  should  take. 

The  Lord  has  cared  for  us  in  the  most  marvelous 
manner.    To  Him  be  all  the  glory. 

While  in  Richmond,  Indiana,  holding  meetings 
at  Fifteenth  Street  we  had  our  home  for  most  part 
with  my  dear  friend,  Naomi  W.  Harrison.  It  was  a 
delightful  and  restful  home,  for  which  I  am  truly 
thankful  to  Him  who  has  given  us  so  many  friends 
and  homes  where  we  had  been  tenderly  cared  for 
in  our  arduous  labors  and  tiresome  journeys,  and  the 


664  Friends. 

memory  of  these  come  to  me  as  a  rich  perfimie  of 
pure  love  that  will  ever  live  and  be  fragrant  in  my 
heart,  for  such  love  never  dies. 

Once  when  we  were  holding  meetings  in  Eighth 
Street  meetinghouse  at  Richmond,  Indiana,  we 
made  our  home  with  Joseph  and  Esther  Dickinson 
and  it  was  a  lovely  and  restful  home.  They  were 
Friends  of  great  merit  to  the  church  of  their  choice 
and  to  the  general  evangelistic  work.  We  belonged 
to  White  Water  monthly  meeting  for  a  short  time, 
and  once  when  we  had  returned  a  minute,  to  the 
monthly  meeting,  having  accomplished  that  for  which 
we  were  liberated,  I  remarked,  *'I  was  glad  to  have 
the  privilege  to  work  for  him  who  had  done  so  much 
for  me."  As  I  took  my  seat  that  estimable  woman, 
Esther  Dickinson,  arose  and  said  in  her  own  truthful 
manner,  **I  am  glad  we  have  workers  who  take  de- 
light in  doing  the  will  of  the  Lord.'* 

Those  words  have  followed  me  all  the  way  and 
have  been  a  great  source  of  comfort  to  me  and  ever 
shall  be.  They  are  like  **  apples  of  gold  in  pictures  of 
silver." 

My  precious  mother  was  not  converted  until 
sometime  after  my  conversion.  She  was  a  lovely  char- 
acter, though  not  a  Christian.  One  who  knew  her  in 
her  young  womanhood  said,  "She  was  noted  for  being 
a  lady."  She  was  a  wholly  sanctified  woman,  a  sun- 
beam in  her  life  after  her  consecration.  She  tri- 
lunphed  all  the  way,  and  in  her  death  was  victorious. 

Amy  Fulghum  was  the  means  in  the  hands  of  the 
Lord  of  the  first  meeting  of  Friends  in  Winchester, 
Indiana.  Winchester  is  now  the  largest  Quarterly 
meeting  in  Indiana  Yearly  Meeting.  Amy  Fulghum 
was  the  first  pastor  at  Knightstown,  Indiana,  and 
that  meeting  has  never  been  stronger  and  more 
healthful  spiritually  than  while  she  was  its  pastor. 


General  Meetings.  665 

She  was  a  woman  called  of  God  to  preach  and  was 
faithful  to  the  end. 

In  our  first  ministry,  after  leaving  home,  and 
having  spent  the  most  of  all  we  had,  we  were  in  Rich- 
mond, Indiana,  with  our  little  girls  (mere  babes)  and 
were  walking  up  Fifth  Street  and  passing  a  millinery 
store  kept  by  some  young  ladies,  members  of  Friends 
Church,  we  stepped  in  and  I  was  looking  at  some 
things  I  needed,  but  no  money  with  which  to  make  a 
purchase,  no,  not  even  a  dinner. 

One  of  those  girls  (Lettie  Smith)  stepped  for- 
ward in  a  very  gentle  and  unassuming  manner,  and, 
smiling  sweetly,  she  said,  **  Esther,  have  you  been  to 
dinner  T '   I  answered  *  *  No,  we  have  not. ' ' 

She  then  said,  **Will  you  not  come  in  and  eat 
dinner  with  us,  as  it  is  now  ready?"  I  answered, 
**Yes!"  My  heart  was  filled  with  gratitude  to  our 
Heavenly  Father  for  his  tender  care  for  us  in  so 
many  ways  and  places.  This  lovely  sweet  spiritual 
woman  was  a  real  lady.  I  have  tasted  that  dinner  all 
these  years  amid  all  our  hunger  and  weariness  and  it 
has  been  refreshing  to  me  ever  since.  In  memory  of 
her  so  pure  and  lovely,  I  am  penning  these  words. 

At  the  present  time,  1906,  Earlham  College  at 
Richmond,  Indiana,  has  as  its  president  Robert  Kel- 
ley,  whose  influence  for  real  manhood  and  woman- 
hood is  very  good.     He  is  a  gentlemanly  man. 

Indiana  Yearly  Meeting  was  the  first  yearly 
meeting  that  opened  the  way  and  entered  the  great 
revival  work  among  Friends  and  was  the  first  to  hold 
*' General  meetings,"  Biennial  Sabbath  Conferences, 
the  Evangelistic  work,  the  pastoral  system  and  the 
general  progressive  work  of  the  church.  This  work 
has  been  wonderful,  deeply  rooted  and  grounded 
upon  the  rock,  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 


666  The  Sword  of  the  Spirit. 


The  Bible. 

As  I  have  beheld  the  power  of  the  Bible  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  bringing  souls  to  Christ,  I  have  no  re- 
grets that  I  have  preached  the  truths,  all  of  them,  as 
declared  by  all  the  writers  from  '*  Genesis  to  Revela- 
lations."  All  is  truth  and  able  to  make  us  wise  unto 
salvation,  none  to  be  thrown  aside,  but  all  to  be  ac- 
cepted, believed  and  preached. 

Never  in  the  history  of  the  church  has  there  been 
a  greater  need  of  men  and  women  to  teach  and  preach 
all  of  *'The  Old  Book"  than  now,  for  no  one  who 
does  not  will  be  a  soul  winner  for  Christ.  In  our 
doing  this  he  has  placed  his  seal  upon  our  ministry 
and  given  us  thousands  of  souls  from  all  grades  of 
society.    To  him  be  all  the  glory  forever. 

The  only  regret  is  that  I  have  only  one  life  to  live 
for  Him  and  for  humanity,  for  I  have  an  intense  love 
for  people,  for  immortal  souls  for  whom  Christ  died, 
and  rose  again. 

Lately  my  health  failed  so  that  my  friends  coun- 
seled me  to  stop  and  rest.  So  we  went  to  our  dear 
children's  home  in  New  Mexico.  Our  daughter  Itas- 
ca's husband.  Professor  E.  O.  Wooten,  is  one  of  the 
faculty  in  the  Agricultural  College,  and  he,  with  the 
other  professors,  and  its  president,  have  made  the 
college  a  great  success  and  much  good  has  been  ac- 
complished. While  we  were  here  I  was  invited  by 
the  president  to  speak  to  the  students.  I  was  the 
first  woman  ever  invited  to  address  them. 

Agricultural  college  was  established  by  the 
influence  of  Professor  Hiram  Hadley,  a  Friend,  and 
Mr.  Young,  a  lawyer  of  Las  Cruces.  This  college  is 
now  doing  great  good,  under  the  very  efficient  man- 
agement of  President  Foster  and  its  corps  of  able 
professors. 


Forest,  Ohio.  667 

Many  of  the  Mexican  young  men  and  women  are 
being  educated;  the  light  is  shining  amidst  the  sur- 
rounding darkness,  and  many  are  seeing  it,  although 
afar  off. 

Now,  as  the  years  have  passed,  and  the  work  has 
been  most  delightful  because  of  the  Saviour's  call  to 
win  souls  to  him  and  cannot  be  continued  as  in  other 
years,  but  still  the  longing  to  tell  his  mighty  power 
has  not  quieted  in  my  spirit  and  cannot  until  my 
work  is  done  and  I  shall  enter  in  to  return  the  gifts 
he  has  given  me  and  shall  hear  him  say, ' '  Well  done, 
enter  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 

Through  his  merit  and  that  alone  shall  we  go 
into  the  city  to  be  his  bride. 

Union  Meeting,  Forest,  Ohio,  January  6,  1907. 

By  much  care  and  prayer  to  my  dear  Heavenly 
Father,  and  some  months  rest,  I  felt  that  I  could  once 
more  venture  into  the  Lord's  work,  we  having  re- 
ceived an  urgent  call  from  the  pastors  of  Forest, 
Ohio,  to  hold  a  series  of  union  meetings  for  them. 

We  commenced  these  meetings  on  January  6, 
1907.  There  were  four  denominations  united  in  the 
work— Presbyterian,  Methodist  Episcopal,  Baptist 
and  Protestant  Methodist. 

The  Lord  gave  us  a  most  blessed  meeting,  the 
ministers  of  the  various  churches  were  Christian, 
manly  men,  and  they  treated  us  with  the  greatest 
kindness,  being  especially  careful  of  me,  being  anx- 
ious that  the  way  might  be  opened.  The  names  of  the 
pastors  were  J.  M.  Crosby,  Baptist ;  A.  M.  Harford, 
Methodist  Episcopal ;  G.  C.  Creamwell,  M.  P.,  and  L. 
Twinem,  Presbyterian. 

Following  is  the  report  of  the  meetings  made  by 
the  Pastors'  Union : 

"The  union  revival   services   conducted  by  the 


668  Union  Meetings, 

Quaker  evangelists,  Nathan  and  Esther  Frame  in 
Foster  were  of  an  exceptional  character.  The  four 
churches  united  in  these  meetings  with  a  spirit  of 
fraternity  such  as  had  never  before  been  witnessed  in 
the  town  of  Forest.  The  preaching  of  Mrs.  Frame, 
though  in  delicate  health,  was  with  a  most  remark- 
able unction  of  the  Spirit. 

*'The  Bible  lessons  given  by  Mr.  Frame  in  the 
day  meetings  were  stimulating  to  faith  and  a  more 
consecrated  service  for  the  Master.  These  meetings 
were  truly  a  most  blessed  season,  and  it  was  a  time  of 
establishment  for  the  churches  and  a  time  of  seed- 
sowing,  the  rich  harvests  of  which  shall  be  gathered 
through  all  the  coming  years  until  all  the  weeping 
faithful  sowers  shall  come  with  rejoicing,  bringing 
their  sheaves  with  them. 

Below  is  a  notice  of  the  meetings  the  first  Sab- 
bath: 

^^Union  Revival  Meetings. 

*^The  union  revival  services  at  the  M.  E.  Church 
were  largely  attended  both  Sunday  morning  and  at 
night.  Mrs.  Frame,  the  Quaker  evangelist  from 
Richmond,  Indiana,  by  her  masterly  sermons,  has 
won  the  appreciation  of  the  people.  Her  address  is 
polished  to  the  highest  point  of  refinement,  and  all 
without  any  loss  of  power. 

**Her  sermons  are  in  the  demonstration  of  the 
spirit..  Mr.  Frame  is  an  efficient  worker.  These 
evangelists  have  been  used  of  God  in  great  revivals 
everywhere  they  have  gone ;  as  many  as  thirty  thou- 
sand have  been  converted  in  their  meetings.  A  great 
revival  is  expected  in  Forest  in  the  meetings  that  are 
now  in  progress. ' ' 


Plainfield,  Indiana,  669 


Quarterly  Meetings. 

We  had  felt  a  Quakerly  concern  to  visit  some 
Quarterly  meetings  in  Western  Yearly  meeting.  We 
first  had  an  invitation  to  the  dear  home  of  the  Gen- 
eral Superintendent  of  evangelistic  work,  Lewis  E. 
Stout,  and  his  lovely  wife  Anna ;  kindly  received  by 
both  of  them,  they  giving  us  their  warm  room  with 
the  clean  bed  on  which  to  rest. 

He  is  truly  a  manly  man  and  she  a  womanly 
woman.  It  was  a  very  cold  night  when  we  were  wel- 
comed to  their  peaceful  home  that  we  might  attend 
Plainfield  Quarterly  meeting.  We  had  a  blessed 
meeting  among  the  dear  Friends  who  received  us 
in  a  beautiful  manner. 

From  Plainfield  we  stopped  in  Moorsville,  In- 
diana, on  our  way  to  White  Lick  Quarterly  meeting. 
Here  we  had  one  meeting  with  Friends  where  our 
dear  friend  Willis  Bond  is  pastor,  who  treated  us 
royally,  had  a  very  blessed  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  upon  us  all,  for  all  were  under  the  power  of 
God,  as  George  Fox  called  it. 

While  in  attendance  at  White  Lick  Quarterly 
meeting  we  had  a  delightful  home  with  our  dear 
friends,  John  Edwards  and  his  lovely  Christian  wife. 
They  made  our  stay  with  them  very  pleasant  indeed. 
They  will  ever  have  a  warm  place  in  our  hearts ;  they 
have  a  dear  family— a  womanly  daughter  and  manly 
sons. 

We  had  much  liberty  in  preaching  a  full  Gospel 
to  the  many  young  people  whom  our  hearts  loved 
with  tenderness.  From  Monrovia  we  came  back 
to  Moorsville  to  rest  a  few  days,  stopping  by  invi- 
tation at  the  beautiful  home  of  Dr.  Duwees  and 


670  Under  the  Maples. 

his  lovely  and  intelligent  wife.    We  were  so  pleas- 
antly cared  for  in  every  way. 

Sugar  Plain. 

We  had  an  invitation  to  visit  Sugar  Plain  meet- 
ing of  Friends,  Boone  County,  Indiana,  an  old  intelli- 
gent and  strong  meeting.  We  came  and  were  invited 
to  the  dear  restful  home  of  Mary  E.  Riley;  with 
great  tenderness  and  care  we  were  provided  for  by 
her  and  her  manly  son,  Marley  Riley,  and  his  lovely 
wife,  Maud;  we  were  helped  by  them  in  many 
ways;  they  are  lovable  characters;  we  were 
strangers  and  they  took  us  in ;  we  were  tired  and  they 
gave  us  a  sweet  room  and  bed  of  marked  cleanliness 
where  we  could  rest.  And  Jesus  said:  ''Inasmuch  as 
ye  have  done  it  unto  the  least  of  my  little  ones,  ye 
have  done  it  unto  me." 

The  pastor  of  Sugar  Plain  meeting,  Farland 
Randolph,  is  an  intelligent  spiritual  man  and  capable 
to  lead  the  friends  in  a  healthful  manner;  the 
Friends  love  him  very  much ;  he  is  the  right  man  in 
the  right  place.  At  this  writing  we  are  in  the  midst 
of  a  glorious  revival  of  primitive  Christianity;  the 
Christ  is  in  the  midst  of  His  people,  mighty  to  save, 
and  is  saving  many.  As  these  meetings  continued 
the  power  of  the  Spirit  was  felt  for  quite  a  number 
of  miles  in  the  country.  Sugar  Plain  has  been  an 
''educational  center"  for  more  than  fifty  years.  This 
meeting  is  truly  a  "Friends  meeting." 

The  Friends  here  were  lovely  and  tender,  careful 
that  we  be  supplied  in  every  way  for  our  comfort. 
Never  have  we  met  more  lovely  people  in  our  work 
since  we  began  preaching  the  Gospel  than  those  at 
Sugar  Plain. 


Report  of  Meetings.  671 

Following  is  an  account  of  the  meetings  by  the 
pastor : 

**  Sugar  Plain,  March  28,  1907. 

**  Sugar  Plain  Friends  meeting  near  Thorntown, 
Indiana,  has  been  favored  with  a  gracious  visitation 
from  the  Lord.  Nathan  T.  and  Esther  G.  Frame 
have  just  closed  a  series  of  meetings  here. 

"These  loyal  and  devoted  Friends  reminded  us 
of  1st  Thess.  1:5,*  For  our  Gospel  came  not  to  you  in 
word  only,  but  also  in  power  and  in  the  holy  spirit, 
and  in  much  assurance.* 

"Their  ministry  is  not  only  thorougly  Scriptu- 
ral, but  their  long  valiant  and  successful  work  as 
soul-winners  afford  them  a  rich  experience  from 
which  they  can  draw  many  effective  and  beautiful 
illustrations  which  they  use  with  great  skill  in  hold- 
ing forth  the  word  of  life,  'the  faith  that  was  once 
delivered  to  the  saints. ' 

"Not  for  many  years  has  our  meeting  had  such  a 
mighty  uplift.  Backsliders  were  reclaimed,  many 
people  were  converted,  and  numbers  from  other 
churches  were  led  into  greater  liberty  in  the  Lord. 
Many  will  unite  with  the  Friends  Church  as  a  result 
of  their  work  here. 

"J.  Farland  Randolph, 
"Emma  G.  Randolph, 

"Pastors." 

Cleveland  Quarterly  Meeting. 

May  25th,  1907,  we  attended  Cleveland  Quar- 
terly Meeting  held  at  Pleasant  Valley,  twelve  or 
fourteen  miles  from  the  city.  Here  is  where  O.  B. 
Ong  and  his  wife,  both  ministers,  have  been  laboring 
with  such  great  success. 

They  were  led  here  by  the  Spirit  about  five  years 
ago.    There  was  neither  meeting  or  meeting-house 


672  Cleveland  Quarterly  Meeting. 

here  then,  but  many  sinners  and  much  wickedness. 
These  devoted  ministers  preached  the  Gospel  with 
such  power  that  soon  two  meeting-houses  were  built 
and  Friends  meeting  established  in  each  of  them 
with  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  members. 

Brother  and  Sister  Ong  are  now  the  pastors  of 
these  meetings,  and  in  connection  with  their  Gospel 
work  have  started  a  High  School  and  it  has  been  in 
a  flourishing  condition  for  three  years  past  and  gives 
promise  of  great  good. 

The  beginning  of  all  this  blessed  work  was,  first 
a  sermon,  then  a  camp  meeting,  then  the  churches 
and  the  meeting  houses.    It  was  the  Lord's  work. 

At  one  of  these  new  meeting-houses  the  Quar- 
terly Meeting  was  held,  and  it  seemed  like  a  meeting 
of  "the  olden  times,"  except  the  singing.  There  was 
no  planning.  The  Friends  quietly  took  their  places 
and  waited  on  the  Lord,  and  spake  as  the  Spirit  gave 
them  utterance.  On  the  seventh  day,  in  the  opening 
of  the  meeting,  a  Friend  said :  ' '  Friends,  remember 
we  have  some  visiting  ministers  from  a  distance  to- 
day." Then  I  had  a  blessed  opportunity  to  deliver 
the  Lord's  message  to  the  people,  and  they  joyfully 
received  it. 

On  Sabbath  at  eleven  o'clock  the  Lord  gave  me 
another  message,  and  enabled  me  to  preach  Christ 
and  him  crucified,— "Christ  risen,"  and  Christ  who 
shall  come  again,  and  all  the  holy  angels  with  him; 
and  the  Lord's  power  was  over  all.  To  Him  be  all 
the  glory. 

Still  in  our  home  we  have  our  dear  Lucy  R. 
Allen,  who  has  lived  with  us  for  more  than  twenty 
years ;  coming  from  a  good  home,  her  family  having 
nearly  all  died,  she  needed  a  home,  and  we  needed  her. 
She  did  not  come  to  us  as  a  servant,  but  as  one  of  the 
family,  to  have  care  of  the  home,  that  I  might  have  an 
opportunity  to  prepare  myself  for  the  work  to  which 


Christ  Is  All  673 

I  was  called.  She  will  always  be  oura,  and  the  home 
we  have  will  ever  be  hers,  as  long  as  we  remain  on  the 
earth,  mitil  we  go  to  be  forever  with  the  Lord. 
Ephesians  3 :20,  21,  "Now  unto  him  that  is  able  to  do 
exceeding  abundantly  above  all  that  we  ask  or  think, 
according  the  power  that  worketh  in  us.'* 

Unto  Him  be  glory  in  the  church  throughout  all 
ages  world  without  end.    *'Amen." 

Esther  G.  Frame. 


BOOKS 

By  Nathan  T.  Frame 

1. 

Under  the  Lindens 

Book  of  Poems — 150  pages  illus- 

trated. 

2. 

Paul  and  Phebe,  or 

Shall  Women  Preach  ? 

A  54-page  Booklet. 

3. 

The   One    Baptism  and  The 

Lord's  Supper;    (So  Called.) 

As  held  and  believed  by  Friends 

— a  100-page  Booklet. 

4. 

The  One  Name  and  Human 

Light. 

3S'_ 


III. 


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